drugs: Philadelphia Metropolis

The Frankford Story: In a Free Fall

By Mike Newall  Kevin the Postman was working the mail route along Frankford Avenue the other afternoon. It was a cold, gray day. Dirty scraps of paper blew down the dirty avenue. This particular mail route is not that challenging... (Comments)

The Frankford Story II: Crime & Drugs

By Mike Newall   Philadelphia police Capt. Francis Bachmayer has worked some busy districts in his career. He was a Lieutenant in the North Philly Badlands in the late 90's, when it was averaging nearly 50 bodies a year.... (Comments)

The Frankford Story III: The New Flophouses

By Mike Newall   The pastor was calling state Rep. Tony Payton's office with big plans to convert a cavernous, shuttered nightclub at the corner of Orthodox and Margaret Streets, just one block from a Frankford El train station,... (Comments)

Gaming the System

By Tom Ferrick Jr. If you ever wondered how police handle a drug stakeout, I can tell you.  There is a team of narcotics officers who stake out a drug corner.  They remain out of sight. One officer, usually the... (Comments)

The Gun Wars: Targeting Straw Buyers

By Tom Ferrick Jr.   For a law-enforcement success story look to the work of the Gun Violence Task Force, a joint city-state venture created three years ago to crack down on illegal guns  in Philadelphia. In late December, the Task Force... (Comments)