According to the PPD’s crime map, there have been seven homicides in Northeast Philadelphia so far in 2009.  Not one of them has been in Frankford.  This time last year we already had four.  And that’s been something to write home about.  But the tenth is probably ours because as of now I can hear the helicopters circling overhead because some moron beat his neighbor to death and has barracaded himself inside a house.  So says CBS3.

Update: NBC 10 says it happened on the 1300 block of Anchor, and calls that Oxford Circle.  So does Fox 29.  And as much as I’d like to give this one up to OC, Anchor Street is south of Cheltenham Ave and is definitely in Frankford.

Update: Michael Boccinfusso has been charged with murdering  his neighbor Dallas “Chief” Custalow.

Number 12 for this year, from the Daily News:

A young man was shot in the back and in the back of the head in Northeast Philadelphia last night. Homicide Lt. Philip Riehl said the unidentified victim was gunned down on Cottage Street near Wakeling at 7:33 p.m. The victim, who appeared to be in his late teens or early 20s, died shortly after at Frankford Hospital-Torresdale, Riehl said. Two men who were spotted near the crime scene were brought in for questioning, but no charges had been filed against either. Anyone with information about the crime can call 215-696-3334 or -3335.

This is the map.
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I missed the original story.

The Philadelphia Police Department last week announced an arrest in the fatal beating of a 72-year-old man in Frankford on Aug. 27.
Larry Cunningham, 53, has been charged with murder in the death of Russell McCoy, of the 1800 block of Gillingham St.

This is the link to the Northeast Times.

I have to apologize for missing this story last week.  It sure did not make the headlines.  Now from the Northeast Times:

A shooting in Kensington on Sept. 2 claimed the life of a Frankford man.
Police responding to a 911 call on the 800 block of E. Thayer St. at 2:30 p.m. found 31-year-old Keith Bolden lying in the street with a gunshot wound of the chest.  Bolden, of the 5100 block of Saul St., was taken to Temple University Hospital and pronounced dead at 4:35 p.m.  Detectives had not named any suspects in the slaying as the Times went to press and were investigating possible motives, a police spokeswoman said. ••

This is the 3rd Frankford resident who was murdered elsewhere this year.  Now I’ll stick my neck out.  Murder in the city is treated as routine business in this city.   The mayor should be at the hospital every time somebody gets killed in Philadelphia.  Every useless death is a tragedy, even those of the punks who stupidly kill each other.  For some reason we look on some lives as more important than others and so they just don’t make the headlines and don’t get massive police investigation.  Feel free to comment.

While we are on the subject i got this email from a young film maker promoting a new film some of which was shot in Frankford.

PHILADELPHIA HOMICIDE CITY Money Murder & Politics
is a look into what issues really contribute to the struggle and poverty currently in America. It identifies that struggle and poverty are the most popular assumptions for the high murder rate in Philadelphia both statistically and through experience. The movie communicates possible solutions as well as some of the details seen from the situation as it exists currently.
The movie digs into the life and culture of the rougher neighborhoods and communities in Philadelphia in hopes to shed light on the issues faced to the rest of the population.
The film comes out September 26 2008.
This film has been in production since September 2007. There are already three faces in this movie we have heard to have been killed or have killed someone else. This movie was filmed, produced, and edited by two young adults (and friends) one a native to North Philadelphia and the second a Temple student from Albuquerque New Mexico.
Philadelphia will be thoroughly impressed by the work of these two individuals in this full fledged documentary presentation. The two film makers will donate any movie profits to charity organizations. http://www.youtube.com/v/Gn5b0BWzBMA&hl=en&fs=1”
http://www.youtube.com/v/Gn5b0BWzBMA&hl=en&fs=1“

Philly.com reports that the 236th murder this year occurred in the 2100 block of Wakeling street this morning.

“An unidentified 25-year-old male was found shot multiple times in the chest and arms, a police spokesman said.” (Other reports say he was 18 years old.)

I’m not sure how they determined his age was 25 but don’t know his name but that does not matter in the end. Another life is wasted on the streets on Philadelphia.

The CBS Evening News chose Philadelphia to top its week-long series on crime last night. It is not a distinction that we need but it is the reality. We are not alone in this. Violence is an escalating problem throughout the country. Talk is cheap and the solution is illusive.

Handguns are an easy target. They make it entirely too easy to kill on the spur of the moment. Making them illegal is not a practical solution though unless it is done universally and that is not going to happen.

Controlling them may be a step in the right direction though and that should happen. Should the city be allowed to make its own gun laws? Seems like a reasonable request but its not legal for us to do that in Pennsylvania.

Maybe the real question in the mind of many people is why should I care that these guys are killing each other. He was out at night in a park he must have been up to no good and that is the way it goes.

But the violence can and does reach out to others who are not involved in their foolishness. That danger can touch you unexpectedly. If we do nothing, we give our consent to these crimes and give the OK to the criminals. It’s just not the right thing to do.