Newbold Neighbors

Di Silvestro Playground located at 1500 Morris Street in the Newbold part of Philadelphia has created chaos for the residences who live directly around the playground. Young males ranging from the ages of 10 to 20 have begun to sit on parked vehicles and on the steps of residences after playing basketball. In groups of 6 and more they practice fight each other and lean their bikes on the vehicles nearby. Many of them check to see if the doors of the cars are locked when loitering in front of private homes. Along with the damage left from the bikes, they sit on hoods and in empty pickup truck beds. You can clearly see a string of cars that have sneaker marks and indented hoods from the group of males. They are normally present from the hours of 3pm to 8pm.

Another issue is the fact that they also climb on top of the roof of the community center currently under construction and the equipment containers. Since there is no mediator or authority at a playground filled of teenagers after school it becomes chaotic inside and immediately around the playground.

They often film themselves fighting each other and their activities to glorify the gang like culture. As an example seen in a video on YouTube called “SOUTH PHILLY 15th STREET goonz ( K.WALKER )” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DETfL6ZAqdM

Many immigrants on the westside 1700 block of 15th street have no voice as they accept that a large group of thugs sit in front of their homes without confrontation in fear of retaliation. They become trapped until these young males leave or continue to another step after leaving all their litter behind. I myself have asked them to politely move off my step and have been cursed at when doing so. Calling the police is useless as they just move when they yell 5O. There is no reasoning with these males, they lack tact and respect.

None of these males live immediately around the playground so they have no respect for the area around it. Often they are playing basketball bouncing the ball way past midnight on nice nights in an unlit court as residence try to sleep for work the next day. There used to be a fence which closed the basketball court off afterhours but since the community center is under construction the caretaker of the playground is no longer around. As this is just the beginning of the summer the playground is subjected to FLASHMOB like conditions after school with no presents of authority.

"We run south philly" qouted in the video.

There is an illegal dumpster outside of Molly's Daycare. The property address is 1612 McKean Street, but the mess is on the side of the building on Bancroft Street.

The is a business but they make the city pick up their trash instead of hiring private trash removal.

This garbage sits there all week in this heat and reeks to high heaven.

Please help!