Random acts of lawlessness and violence are an everyday occurrence in large Democrat-controlled cities.
The problem has gotten markedly worse in recent years as public officials have shown criminals they have little to fear.
Now a heinous attack just made a Navy vet the latest victim of Philadelphia’s violent crime epidemic.
An all too common occurrence in the city
Scott Harris is a Navy veteran who happened to be walking his dog in a rough Philadelphia neighborhood last Saturday.
As he approached a crowded park he was robbed and severely beaten.
Details of the crime were a little fuzzy because Harris was beaten so badly he couldn’t recall all that had happened when he woke up in his hospital bed.
As a result of the attack he suffered a brain injury, broken teeth, and severe swelling and bruising to his face.
The doctor who treated him said he sewed over 100 stitches onto Harris’ face.
Harris’ partner, Joseph Hurchick, can attest that the problem in the neighborhood isn’t new.
“This is what happens when something is not policed; it could have been worse. It’s going to take a murder for this to stop,” Hurchick told local outlet FOX29.
Hurchick reportedly called the authorities several times about troublesome large gatherings in neighborhood parks but nothing was done.
Harris said, “I did a year in a war zone in Iraq, did two years in Ukraine, and would not have expected this to happen in my own neighborhood.”
Hurchick believes the attacker came from the party at the nearby park.
His surveillance camera showed three women helping Harris and his dog return home.
Hurchick recalled, “They brought him back; otherwise, I don’t know what would have happened. We were on the stoop, and he was just bleeding; I was on the phone with 911; I didn’t know where the blood was coming from; I didn’t know if he was stabbed.”
Cops are fewer, response rates are down and crime rates are up
Policing, or more accurately lack thereof, is a known problem in the city.
A recent report from Governing.com highlights how the police department is operating at 20 percent below its target staffing level.
This officer shortage is occurring as the city grapples with the highest rates of gun violence in generations.
With fewer cops, police response times have slowed since 2020.
In 2021, Philadelphia set a record with 562 homicides.
Overall shootings increased by 3% over the prior year, according to city stats with violent crime up 7%.
Stay tuned to Blue State Blues for any updates to this ongoing story.
