Parker administration dismantles Kensington encampment this morning

PHILADELPHIA — Mayor Cherelle L. Parker's administration dismantled a homeless encampment in Kensington early Wednesday morning and moved people living on the street out of the area.

The activity was expected to begin at about 8 a.m. Wednesday, but shortly after 7, no one appeared to be living on the street in the targeted area. It was unclear where the dozens of people remaining in the area moved to. City officials are expected to brief reporters later this morning.

Roads around the 3000 and 3100 blocks of Kensington Avenue were barricaded with bike racks, sidewalks were blocked to pedestrians, and dozens of police officers were in the vicinity. As rain poured, city sanitation workers cleared away tents and pushed trash off the streets.

By about 8:20 a.m., Deputy Police Commissioner Pedro Rosario and other top police brass were touring the cleared-out area alongside city outreach workers.

The city estimates that about 675 people are living on the street in Kensington, but only about 75 have been consistently living in the targeted stretch. Over the last several weeks, there have been fewer than 10 tents on the street.

Brian Parkhill, who owns a drug recovery center, was working in the area Wednesday and said the city "came in and broke everybody up and pushed them out early this morning."

He said he was working to connect with people who fled onto side streets to try to connect them with treatment. One couple, he said, was open to treatment but scared to engage with the city because they have open warrants.

Parkhill said he ultimately supports the city's efforts.

"It's terrible. It's a humanitarian crisis," he said. "It was something that had to be done."

Rosalind Pichardo, founder of the advocacy organization Operation Save Our City, said city workers were in the area as early as 5 a.m. She said she watched as city workers swept around people sleeping on the street early Wednesday morning and was concerned about sanitation because some have open wounds.

...continued

swipe to next page