Members of the Special Committee on Kensington at Tuesday's public hearing. Credit: Instagram (@councilmemberquetcy)
Philadelphia City Councilmember Mike Driscoll opened Tuesday’s public hearing with a call to action.
“Today’s hearing is more than transit lines and infrastructure,” Driscoll said. “It’s about how public systems intersect with public health and how we can work together to build a safer, more functional Philadelphia for everyone.”
The City Council's Special Committee on Kensington convened on Tuesday afternoon to discuss the state of transportation infrastructure and services in response to Philadelphia’s opioid crisis.
Charles Lawson, Chief of the SEPTA Transit Police Department, informed the committee on SEPTA's policing, cleaning, and social service initiatives. He was joined by David Williams, Senior Director of Custodial Services for SEPTA’s Subway and E1 Operations.
According to Lawson’s testimony, over the past three fiscal years, SEPTA has more than doubled spending on safety, security, and cleaning priorities, resulting in the largest one-year decrease in serious crime in the Transit Police Department’s 43-year history. Serious crime decreased by 33% compared to 2023.
Lawson attributed this development to the greater recruitment of officers; the SEPTA Transit Police Department now has 248 uniformed officers, the highest headcount in more than a decade.
With a greater number of officers patrolling each of the four Kensington-based SEPTA stations, serious crime dropped by more than 20%. There was also enhanced enforcement of low-level misconduct and antisocial behavior, where Transit Police Officers removed a record of more than 147,000 code of conduct violators from the system.
“I am a big believer in changing the environment,” said Chief Lawson. “You can’t expect to act like you do out on the street corner on SEPTA and think we’re not going to respond the same way.”
Lawson updated the committee on their SCOPE program (Safety, Cleaning, Ownership, Partnership, and Engagement), which is SEPTA’s partnership with social service agencies to connect individuals experiencing homelessness, substance abuse, and mental health disorders with external aid.
The Transit Police Department uses SCOPE to incentivize good behavior. Lawson admitted that his stance may “tweak a few feathers,” but if riders violating their code of conduct refuse to accept treatment, they will be banned from the transit system.
“In fact, I’ve had folks pull out of big contracts on these services for us because of our requirements,” said Lawson in regards to their SCOPE partnerships. “If you don’t want any services of any kind, you’re off the system.”
Councilmember Quetcy Lozada, chair of the Special Committee on Kensington, emphatically agreed with Lawson’s approach.
“We want to be compassionate and empathetic,” said Lozada. “We recognize that you need resources. But your behavior cannot impact an entire transit system, an entire community, an entire neighborhood, an entire city.”
Councilmember Jim Harrity, who resides in Kensington and has battled addiction, also supported Lawson’s tough love rhetoric. “You've got to be regimented,” Harrity said. “We need rules. There has to be consequences. If there’s no consequences for us, trust me, we’re going to take advantage.”
SEPTA lies at a difficult crossroads. People facing substance abuse may congregate around public transportation hubs, bringing Philadelphia’s opioid addiction issue onto their turf. However, SEPTA’s primary purpose is to provide public transportation. Like Harrity said, “It’s not your job to be a therapist.”
Given potential service cuts due to a lack of state funding, SEPTA’s gains in crime reduction and the ongoing efforts of their SCOPE program may be threatened.
“SEPTA is a transit agency, not a social services provider,” Driscoll said. “And now it faces budget shortfalls, declining ridership, and the threat of service cuts as deep as 45%. That's why this hearing is so important.”
