Philadelphia Looting events following encouragement by social media posts have led the Philadelphia Police Department to increase police presence and issue safety advisories for the citizens.
Philidelphia Looting events grabbed the limelight today, making its citizens uneasy. On Wednesday night, social media posts encouraged looting and other criminal activities. The Philidelphia Police Department stated that certain social media posts encouraging vandalism and other criminal activities were being spread on social media. The police department has increased the number of police personnel in the city.
Philadelphia Looting: Police Presence Increased
The Philadelphia Police Department has ramped up police deployment across numerous neighborhoods. These include prime areas of the city such as West Philadelphia’s 52nd Street corridor and commercial areas, the Center City. The deployment is done through bicycle patrols and patrol cars increasing visibility and overall readiness in the city.
The Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel also issued a statement on the Philadelphia Looting. He emphasized the importance of safeguarding communities and businesses in Philadelphia. He said,” Criminal behavior will not be tolerated” and police officers are prepared to take necessary actions if warranted.
Philadelphia Looting: Safety Precautions
The police department is continuously monitoring social media for any such posts that encourage anti-social behavior in the city. They are collaborating with partner agencies to share intelligence about potential criminal activities to quell any future threats in the city.
Business owners in the city are deploying safety measures to their stores by boarding up their stores and closing them early as a safety precaution. Famous retail stores such as LuLu Lemon and J. Crew have opted to close their stores ahead of time to prevent any mishaps related to looting.
Philadelphia Looting: Reported Incidents
There were confirmed reports of looting in numerous neighborhoods in Philadelphia. The most prominent ones are:
Center City
This neighborhood the most extensive looting as numerous stores were targeted by different groups. The targeted areas were the Foot Locker at 15th and Chestnut Streets, the Apple Store on Walnut Street, and a nearby Lululemon store.
The assailants included a group of 100 people mostly young that did these criminal activities.
North Philadelphia
In this neighborhood, looting happened at Patriot Pharmacy on 22nd Street and Indiana Avenue. The looters used a pickaxe to break through and vandalize different items.
Northeast Philadelphia
The police recovered looted items in this neighborhood by arresting the thieves. The area included a GameStop on Aramingo Avenue and a nearby Aldi grocery store.
Port Richmond
Looters stormed into this neighborhood too as per reports received by police personnel.
Philadelphia Looting: Preventive Measures
The police department has taken swift action by deploying increased police personnel, increasing patrols, and engaging in community communication. The Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel has urged parents to monitor their children’s activities closely. He reminded them that stern action would be taken against any children engaged in such disruptive behavior. The police department is working on fostering strong cooperation with the neighborhood residents.
The police are also working with local business owners through different initiatives for providing protection. This includes the Organized Retail and House Theft Task Force. This force aims to improve communication between retailers and law enforcement agencies. It consists of officers focused on retail crime prevention across various police divisions.
Philadelphia Looting: Conclusion
The looting incident looks to be under control through the collective efforts of the police department, the Philadelphia neighborhood residents, and online awareness spread through social media.
This whole criminal activity was fanned by social media, and this was stopped by social media reporting. This highlights the need to question human intentions when given access to unchecked technology.
Hopefully, with this incident future vandalism incidents will be easily dealt by state agencies throughout the globe.
Also Read: Combating Hoax Bomb Threats on Social Media Platforms