March 12, 2026
In the News
Amid record-low violence, Mayor Parker’s policing budget invests in more technology, funds sexual assault center
Mayor Cherelle L. Parker on Thursday proposed a public safety budget that would sustain investment in drones, forensic technology, and community programs credited with driving down violent crime — and, for the first time, allocate city funding to the Philadelphia Sexual Assault Response Center. Parker’s third city budget included $934 million for the police department — about 7% more than last year — to cover contractually obligated pay raises and fund technology like body-worn cameras and the future forensics lab.
The Philadelphia Inquirer
