{"id":133325,"date":"2025-08-10T03:09:16","date_gmt":"2025-08-10T03:09:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/133325\/"},"modified":"2025-08-10T03:09:16","modified_gmt":"2025-08-10T03:09:16","slug":"kensington-ave-block-party-highlights-reduced-crime-in-neighborhood-nbc10-philadelphia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/133325\/","title":{"rendered":"Kensington Ave block party highlights reduced crime in neighborhood \u2013 NBC10 Philadelphia"},"content":{"rendered":"

Families packed a Kensington<\/a> street this weekend for an annual block party aiming to revitalize the community.<\/p>\n

Pastor Buddy Osborn with The Rock Philly said his ministry has been holding the block party on Kensington Avenue for 15 years. It was transformed Saturday to a mini carnival filled with games, water slides, and food.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is the number one area for the open-air drug market,\u201d Pastor Osborn said. \u201cFor one day out of the year, this is completely shut down. Our kids get a chance to create some amazing memories in their life, as opposed to seeing carnage that they see.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brenda Guase recently joined The Rock ministry and typically, she would not bring her children to the Kensington neighborhood.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you come down here, you don\u2019t think of it as a place where you can bring children. It\u2019s not safe for children or adults,\u201d Guase said. \u201cFor them to slowly try to turn the tables and get the community coming together on a positive note, it\u2019s just outstanding.\u201d<\/p>\n

Osborn was raised in Kensington and said he\u2019s seen the challenges of the community personally.<\/p>\n

Since the 1960\u2019s, the Kensington community has endured rapid deindustrialization, job loss, and historic disinvestment, according to the city of Philadelphia. It has also experienced some of the worst conditions and effects of the overdose epidemic, the city says.<\/p>\n

Last year, Philadelphia mayor Cherelle Parker directed public safety officials to develop a 100-day plan to permanently shut down all open-air drug markets in Philadelphia. Data from that report shows through targeted enforcement tactics and presence of additional police officers, Kensington has seen a 17% reduction in violent crime in Kensington in 2024 compared to 2023.<\/p>\n

This includes:<\/p>\n