A 37-year-old Philadelphia Parking Authority worker was shot while he was on the job this Friday night.
The shooting occurred in the city’s Frankford neighborhood. It’s still unclear what led up to the shooting or if any arrests were made. Police are still investigating a motive, but there are indications that the shooting was possibly targeted.
Police rushed to Frankford Avenue and used flashlights to comb for clues after this parking enforcement officer was shot. The victim was shot in the left ear and right shoulder and left for dead.
Neighbors say they often saw the officer patrolling the neighborhood prior to the incident, which happened around 4:00pm.
Detectives are reviewing the names of drivers who have recently been issued tickets by the parking enforcement officer to determine if they are linked to the shooting.
The 37-year-old victim was shot in the left ear and right shoulder, police say No arrests made and no weapon recovered @CBSPhiladelphia pic.twitter.com/sNqElustLT
— Matt Petrillo (@MattPetrillo) November 25, 2022
There has been a significant spike in shootings and overall violent crime throughout the city. This incident of a parking enforcement officer being shot follows that same tragic trend.
According to a midyear survey by the Major Cities Chiefs Associations, homicides and rapes are on the decline in most major U.S. cities. But violent crime is on the rise in the city of Philadelphia, which is proven true by violent attacks like this one.
Philly has reported 388 homicides so far this year, up slightly from 384 the same time last year. Robberies with guns are up 60%, while rapes decreased more than 25%.
John Roman, a senior at NORC at the University of Chicago, suggested that a decline in public sector workers since the start of the pandemic is potentially limiting Philadelphia’s response to the violence. The city government has rolled out an array of efforts to address the crisis, but there are no ready answers about what their response to gun usage will be.