Six months ago, Philadelphia’s chief public safety director worked out of a cramped office with nothing on the walls. He oversaw a half-dozen offices and programs spread across the government. Now, Adam Geer has a bright space overlooking City Hall adorned with portraits of Civil Rights heroes. Philadelphia’s Office of Public Safety brought the city’s disparate public-safety functions under one roof. Geer, whose position was created by City Council to improve cooperation among city leaders, oversees a variety of programs largely focused on preventing violence, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. Geer spent much of his first year defining his role under new Mayor Cherelle Parker. Rather than overseeing the administrative side of the police and fire departments, Geer has positioned himself more as a complement to Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel and a leader of antiviolence work outside traditional policing.
Geer's job was created amid a historic spike in gun violence. Over the last year, the city saw a dramatic reduction in shootings and its largest decline in homicides in at least 50 years. Geer said that shooters being arrested is a clear contributor. He also credits the robust web of city-operated antiviolence programs and grassroots community organizations that aim to prevent shootings. Independent evaluations of these initiatives have produced mixed results: some that aim to engage with potential shooters have been lauded. Other antiviolence programs have lacked oversight or failed to reach their goals. Geer believes the most important indicator of a successful antiviolence program can be challenging to quantify: people who were not shot. “I truly believe it’s responsible in large part with the numbers that we’re seeing,” he said. Geer said a key initiative has been expanding Group Violence Intervention, a partnership between employees in his office and the police department that aims to engage with gang-affiliated people or others considered most likely to shoot or be shot. Using a list from police, case workers go to the homes of residents and offer them access to city services and job connections. The mothers of people who were fatally shot sometimes accompany caseworkers, and they plead with the individuals to stop the violence. Last year, the city added caseworkers to its roster and made contact with more than 900 at-risk people, more than double the previous year.
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