Is 2026 the Safest Year in Philly’s History?
Is 2026 the safest year in Philly’s history? If you look at homicide rates, it just might be. In 2025, we saw the fewest number of homicides since the 1960s. And through the first half of this year, the murder rate is down about 30 percent from even that historic low. What’s going on here? What story are these numbers telling us about crime in the city. And statistics aside, do people feel safe? Host Trenae Nuri talks with Mensah Dean, staff writer from the gun violence reporting newsroom, The Trace.
Read Mensah’s reporting here.
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