PHILADELPHIA, Pa. -- The Philadelphia Police Department has assigned additional officers to gather street-level intelligence in the city's most dangerous neighborhoods, a tactic aimed at reducing retaliatory shootings and other crimes.
Eleven officers are being moved out of patrol units and will be assigned to work on information-gathering. The transfers will double the number of officers assigned to track street-level intelligence, said Deputy Commissioner Richard Ross.
Those officers will work with tactical officers in the city's 11 busiest districts, where one main goal will be preventing the acts of retaliation that often follow shootings, Ross said. Each officer will spend most of his time in one district in an effort to get to know both the residents and the criminals in that community, he said.
"This is an enhanced version of what we have already been doing," Ross said. "We're looking to develop as much intelligence as possible, and we're hoping to do that by having officers really drill down on one district."
Shootings can set off a chain reaction of violence, particularly when drugs are involved. Police are hoping that with more officers working the streets and picking up neighborhood gossip, some retaliatory shootings may be avoided.
If someone planning a crime knows that police are watching him, Ross said, he might think twice.
"The premise is to look at the victims in some of these cases, look at the shooters, and try to pick up on who's likely to strike back," Ross said. "Statistically, it's not possible to prevent all shootings. But we'd like to stave off the second and third shootings."
In addition, officers may end up hearing about other neighborhood issues, such as burglaries and drug dealing.
"This is as much about understanding who the good people are in a neighborhood," Ross said. "The goal is to improve the quality of life for everyone in the area."
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