A major American city has become a battleground for chaotic crowds and a police force that is struggling to even keep up with the pace and frequency of the mobs.
The most recent incidents unfolded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, over the weekend, when unruly crowds coalesced across the city without fear of law enforcement.
At least one police officer was injured in an attempt to control the chaos, and video showed another officer’s vehicle being mobbed after arriving on the scene.
According to WTXF-TV, illegal street races shut down intersections and roads across the city from Saturday night until Sunday morning. Police were dispatched to multiple incidents between 9:30 p.m. and 4:33 a.m. for gatherings involving up to 200 vehicles.
Drone video showed a lone police vehicle arriving at one scene with emergency lights flashing.
The crowd mobbed this vehicle, jumping on top of the outnumbered officer’s car and even opening his door at one point. All the while, the recording drone buzzed around and around the vehicle.
Philadelphia basically looks like a game of Grand Theft Auto now.
It is just sad that we’ve allowed the city where the Declaration of Independence was signed to become this. pic.twitter.com/9JO9PK3Lv2
— Joey Mannarino (@JoeyMannarinoUS) September 23, 2024
Police were able to arrest only two of the alleged offenders over the course of the weekend and issued citations to many more.
Five police vehicles were left damaged and shattered after the dust settled on Philadelphia.
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The message here is clear: Police have no power when the mobs come out to play. Criminals are so sure of their safety that the chaos is recorded in high-definition and uploaded to the internet.
“There’s officers in the car. They’re jumping on the windshield,” Philadelphia Police Department Deputy Commissioner Mike Cram told WTXF-TV. “They’re physically doing damage.
“They don’t care about your safety, their own safety. If you’ve all seen the videos with their behavior, they really don’t care. It’s just about how much chaos can we cause.”
A release from the department itself warned those in the mob that although they may have escaped the immediate situation, justice knows every man’s number.
“Do not think for a moment that you got away with it and that you will not be held accountable,” the department said. “There are cameras everywhere. There is a considerable amount of evidence to go through. PPD will use that evidence to make arrests when warranted.”
Although Philadelphia police had officers tasked to work these issues over the weekend, the scale and frequency is apparently proving to be too much for the department to effectively tackle.
The department also faces a manpower problem.
According to an Associated Press report from earlier this year, the Philadelphia Police Department is struggling to fill gaps in its force. To secure more candidates, the department has lowered the standard for entry.
Tattoos, previous drug use, education, and physical fitness standards are all being reevaluated by department officials.
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