Chamber President & CEO Rob Wonderling participated in today’s press conference with Mayor Nutter to demonstrate the business community’s support for the city’s response to the recent spate of flash mobs that have injured people and destroyed property.
Mr. Wonderling issued this statement:
“The Chamber deplores these incidents of mob violence by teenagers in recent weeks. Incidents like these cannot continue, as they endanger the safety of Philadelphia residents, negatively impact commerce, and smirch the reputation of the city. We applaud the City’s efforts to remedy this problem with additional police force presence in Center City and on mass transit systems.
“While these are isolated incidents, the subsequent fear they engender among residents and visitors can damage the community. In addition, we echo Commissioner Ramsey’s frustration that controlling these flash mobs diverts officers from other areas of the city that need attention.
“We continue to encourage our Philadelphia members to register with Alert Philadelphia (www.alertphila.com) , the emergency text messaging system established through the Center City District and the Philadelphia Police Department.”
