Given the recent events; the significant court decisions around the country, the devasting incident at the Waukesha Christmas Parade, the smash and grab thefts at businesses in California and Illinois, as well as the onset of the holiday season and a welcome increase in shoppers and visitors, the Philadelphia Police Department is enhancing its presence throughout the city.

The Department will have additional officers in uniform and in plainclothes in center city, our neighborhood commercial corridors and the waterfront. The deployment of additional resources and proactive patrols is out of an abundance of caution and  to enhance the sense of safety. We have not identified any specific public safety concerns at this time.

During the holiday season, you may consider adding additional security, ensure your CCTV and alarms are in good working order, securing expensive merchandise using cables, or other locking devices, removing high value items from window displays or placing key merchandise in a separate and secure area after closing, keeping personal belongings out of sight, and have a plan in place if circumstances required your shop to close early.

To help make our communities safer, we ask that you and your staff remain vigilant and as always, if you see anything of concern, or suspicious activity, worrisome social media postings, and/or criminal activity referenced on neighborhood apps but not reported to police, please don’t hesitate to notify 9-1-1.

Working together we can make our city safer. Thank you for your support and all you do to make Philadelphia a great place to live, work, shop, and celebrate the holidays. Thank you.

Warmest regards,

Stacy