Dec 14, 2013 2 min read

PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Philadelphia is on track for a 24 percent decline in the number of homicides compared to last year, and could reach an annual level not seen since 1967 by the end of the year, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported Saturday.

The paper said the city is headed for a total of about 250 slayings in 2013, 80 fewer than last year. A similar downward trend has turned up recently in other large cities.

The mayor, police chief and district attorney credit an effort that melds data with old school police work, targeting gun criminals and areas of intense criminal activity. Changes to the city’s court systems have pushed more cases to trial.

Philadelphia’s number stood at 237 on Friday, putting the city on track for the lowest since 1967, when there were 234 killings.

“Anyone who tells you it’s one thing doesn’t know what they’re talking about,” Mayor Michael Nutter told the paper. He said the key was “a consistent, regular focus” on a strategy.

The city has also seen an overall decline in crime, with shootings down 15 percent.

Philadelphia authorities established a program known as “focused deterrence,” borrowed from Boston, which targets gun and gang violence in south Philadelphia.

They identified 600 “impact players” known for shootings, large drug deals and robberies, and put them at the top of the priority list for law enforcement while offering them alternatives to street life and social services.

When individuals are involved in shootings, their entire gang suffers in terms of probation violation hearings, drug testing, higher bail, longer sentences and even crackdowns on unpaid utility bills.