PHILADELPHIA -- Philadelphia’s iconic block party culture may be another type of casualty of the city’s record-level gun violence. Before COVID-19 and the surge in shootings, the city had a reputation for robust street life. But those were the good ol’ days when block party approvals were routinely issued.
Philadelphia has become decidedly less block-party friendly since the Philadelphia Police Department has beefed up its oversight of the permits, issuing denials in areas that have known “criminal activity.”
So far this year, 263 block party requests were denied, about one in six, mostly for fear they could be victimized by violence, according to Streets Department data. While the percentage of blocks banned each year has remained relatively consistent, the number of requests have dropped dramatically, from nearly 6,000 in 2018 to only 106 in 2020, as COVID-19 spread. The numbers still haven’t bounced back.
