Clean Streets Are Safe Streets: What We Learned from 9 Months in Northwest Philly
When people talk about cities and gun violence, the stories often skip the part where communities are already doing the work. At Glitter, we believe public safety doesn’t come from policing or military force — it comes from care, consistency, and neighborhood power.
That belief was the foundation for our 9-month violence prevention pilot in Northwest Philadelphia. We teamed up with State Senator Art Haywood to test a simple question:
What happens when you bring steady, visible care to blocks impacted by gun violence — and hire people who need a second chance to lead that work?
📊 The Bigger Picture: What’s Really Happening in Our Cities
If you only listened to national headlines, you might think cities are becoming more violent. But the truth is more complex — and hopeful.
Philadelphia has seen a nearly 20% drop in homicides so far in 2025.
Chicago just recorded its lowest summer murder rate since 1965.
New York City has experienced a 14% drop in shootings and a 12% drop in homicides this year compared to 2024, continuing a multi-year trend of decline.
These shifts aren’t happening because of militarized responses — they’re happening because of long-term, community-driven solutions like outreach, employment, neighborhood stabilization, and yes, even block-by-block cleaning efforts.
What We Did in Northwest Philly
Every week for nine months, Glitter’s team — made up of neighbors and folks with barriers to employment — showed up to clean blocks in Northwest Philly that had been hit hardest by gun violence. We focused on presence, consistency, and pride in place.
Here’s what it added up to:
🧹 8,860 block cleanings
🗑️ 7,600+ bags of litter removed
💼 12 living-wage jobs created
🏡 16,000+ households served
❤️ 20 blocks funded directly by neighbors
This wasn't temporary aid — it was a sustained, caring presence that sent a signal:
This block matters. The people here matter.
The Results: 63% Reduction in Gun Violence
Here’s what the data told us:
🕊️ Gun violence in our intervention area dropped 63% — compared to a 38% drop in a similar neighborhood that wasn’t part of the project. That’s a 25-point difference.
And the most powerful outcome? The ripple effect. Even blocks we didn’t directly clean saw improvements — suggesting that visible, consistent care creates a network of safety and pride.
Clean Streets = Safe Streets
This work aligns with a growing body of evidence that links environmental care to public safety. From NYC to Philly to Chicago, cities are showing that safety improves when people feel their communities are being invested in — and when residents can actively take part in that transformation.
People feel better when their streets are clean and cared for. And when people feel better, they show up differently in their neighborhoods. They stay. They engage. They protect each other.
At Glitter, we take that seriously. Our approach combines economic justice (living-wage jobs), public health, and community trust into a single strategy — one that works.
What’s Next: Safe Steps West
We’re proud to announce the next phase of this work: Safe Steps West, a new partnership with Episcopal Community Services.
This initiative will expand our cleaning and employment model to neighborhoods in West Philadelphia, bringing the same ingredients:
Jobs for those who’ve been shut out of the workforce
Weekly cleanings of high-need blocks
Measurable reductions in trash — and, we expect, in violence
We’re not waiting on top-down solutions. We’re investing in neighborhoods from the inside out.
Want to Help?
If you're a policymaker, funder, business owner, or neighbor who wants to be part of this work — let's talk. We’re building something that works, and we’d love for you to be part of it.
📬 Reach us at hello@shareglitter.com
Because safety isn’t just about stats — it’s about showing up, week after week, block after block.
✨🧹🏡 🤲 🌆
