Candidates in the May 20 primary spoke at the recent Lawncrest Community Association meeting.
District Attorney Larry Krasner was on hand. His opponent in the Democratic primary, Pat Dugan, was represented by Tom Lally.
City Controller Christy Brady, who is unopposed in the Democratic primary, spoke of her office’s speeding up pay for election workers. Her Republican opponent is Ari Patrinos.
Democratic City Committee-endorsed judicial candidates were invited. Those who spoke were
Municipal Court candidates Shawn Page, Amanda Davidson and Cortez Patton and Common Pleas Court hopefuls Anthony Stefanski, Deborah Watson-Stokes, Irina Ehrlich, Larry Farnese, Leon A. King II, Sarah Jones and Will Braveman.
When Krasner spoke, he noted that there had been only 58 murders in Philadelphia this year, putting the city on pace to have its fewest homicides since 1966.
“I would like to see the day Philadelphia ends the year with less than 200 homicides,” he said.
Krasner said crime is down in Philadelphia from a year ago in 15 of 18 categories, including shootings. He praised Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel for his many years in law enforcement, his accessibility and open-mindedness. He thanked Mayor Cherelle Parker, City Council and police department social media analysts for crime-prevention efforts.
“When people think they are going to get caught,” Krasner said, “they don’t do it.”
Krasner is eager for Philadelphia to open a state-of-the-art forensics lab. He said DNA helped lead to arrests and recent convictions in the 2022 murder of a sanitation worker at Rowland and Bleigh avenues.
The hotline to report short dumping to the district attorney’s office is 215-686-8988.
Lally told the crowd he lived for 25 years at 306 Gilham St. and served as president of Lawncrest Athletic Association and the St. William Home and School Association.
Lally pointed to Dugan’s service in Iraq and Afghanistan and as president judge of Municipal Court. He started a court for veterans, with a recidivism rate of just 10 percent, according to Lally.
Lally argued that Krasner does not represent victims.
“Pat speaks for the victims,” he said.
Lally encouraged people to request a mail ballot by the May 13 deadline, adding that Republicans can change their party affiliation to vote in the Democratic primary.
“He needs your vote. He needs to beat Larry Krasner,” Lally said.
In other news from the April 17 meeting:
• Mark Mroz, community relations officer in the 2nd Police District, said homicides, shootings, robberies, gun robberies, residential burglaries, retail thefts and curfew violations are down in the district compared to last year. On the rise are commercial burglaries, stolen autos and thefts from autos.
The district is also making more car stops and truant stops.
Mroz said a chop shop was discovered on the 5500 block of Whitaker Ave. Also, two black teenagers were arrested trying to steal a Kia on the 6100 block of Reach St.
Capt. Andrew DiSanto, commander of the district, and his aide, Officer Sharrod Davis, were also in attendance.
• State Sen. Tina Tartaglione, U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle and state Rep. Joe Hohenstein will sponsor a paper shredding and e-cycling event on Saturday, May 3, from 10 a.m. to noon, at Wissinoming Park, 5773-5945 Frankford Ave. (Cheltenham Avenue entrance).
• Cardinal Dougherty Alumni Band will hold a free concert on Tuesday, May 13, at 7 p.m. in the social hall of the Philadelphia Protestant Home, 6401 Martins Mill Road. All are welcome.
• Michael J. Crescenz Medal of Honor Rising Sun VFW Post 2819, 6850 Martins Mill Road, will host its annual Memorial Day ceremony on Monday, May 26, at 12:30 p.m.
• State Rep. Anthony Bellmon will hold a senior fair on Friday, May 30, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at St. Thomas Indian Orthodox Church, 1009 Unruh Ave. There will be information about resources and services available, along with a free lunch. Call 215-560-1315.
• The annual Lawncrest 4th of July Celebration will take place on Saturday, July 5. Details are still being finalized, but there will be T-shirt sales, moonbounces and fireworks at dusk, and possibly a car show.
• A moment of silence was observed in memory of neighborhood resident Kathy Burkhardt and the victims of the shooting at Florida State University.
• Lawncrest Community Association will meet on Wednesday, May 14, at 6:30 p.m. at St. William’s Monsignor James E. Mortimer Memorial Hall, Argyle and Robbins streets. ••
