Homicides in Philadelphia in 2013 are on pace for the lowest midyear total in nearly half a century, police figures show, putting the city in reach of a modern-day low at year’s end.
As of Friday, with three days left in the six-month period, police had recorded 115 homicides, a 38 percent drop from the same period last year.
The half-year figures are a promising sign for a city that in recent years has held the dubious distinction of being the nation’s most violent big city.
Mayor Nutter, top police officials, and prosecutors, along with criminal-justice experts, say the decrease in homicides reflects a new emphasis on data-driven policing, a crackdown on gun criminals, and sweeping reforms in the criminal courts.
