Good morning, Philly.
Mayor Cherelle L. Parker wants Philly police to live in Philly, but more cops live outside the city than ever before. Does it matter?
And where does South Jersey start? The geographical debate rages on. Join it by drawing your own lines on our interactive state map.
— Julie Zeglen (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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‘Where they lay their heads at night’
The number of Philly police living outside the city has doubled in less than a decade, despite efforts from Mayor Parker and her predecessors to tighten residency requirements.
Changing policies: Most municipal employees must live within city limits. For cops, that requirement has been eased in recent years amid complaints from the Philadelphia Police Department that it made recruitment too difficult. Now, officers can live outside the city after serving on the force for at least five years, though they must also have lived in it for at least one year prior to their hiring.
By the numbers: About one-third of the department’s 6,363 full-time staffers live elsewhere. Nearly half of all captains, lieutenants, and inspectors live outside the city, too. (Even Police Commissioner Kevin J. Bethel maintains a second home in Montgomery County.) The most popular destination for expats is Lower Bucks.
Unclear impact: Parker maintains that Philadelphians are better served when their police hail from the place they’re patrolling. But public safety experts say that might not bear out in the data.
Reporters Ryan W. Briggs and Anna Orso have the story.
Drawing the line
Some parts of South Jersey are clearly South Jersey. Cherry Hill is minutes and one $6 toll from Philly. You’ll find way more Eagles fans than Giants fans in Atlantic County.
📍 But elsewhere, it’s not so obvious. Ocean County, for instance? Vibes-wise, depends on which side we’re talking. Trenton seems to straddle the state, but can one end claim it?
📍 Adding to the confusion is Central Jersey, a concept so nebulous that Gov. Phil Murphy’s office had to put forth an official definition in 2023.
📍 According to the state, it’s Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, and Somerset Counties — yet somehow, not Monmouth County, which is about as geographically central as it gets.
To help settle this never-ending debate, tell us where you think South Jersey begins — then, if you believe Central Jersey exists, where that begins, too.
In other Jersey news: State lawmakers approved a bill that would make it easier for development projects in Camden to qualify for hundreds of millions of dollars in tax credits. A new minor-league hockey team in Trenton will be named the Ironhawks. And following the death of its own “Milltown Mel,” the Jersey town wanted to import out-of-state woodchucks for Groundhog Day celebrations — but Gov. Murphy vetoed it.
What you should know today
- A 16-year-old was found shot to death inside the bathroom of a Chipotle near Temple University’s campus on Monday in what investigators say may have been an unintentional shooting.
- Union Trinity AME Church, one of Philadelphia’s historic Black religious institutions, was vandalized with racist graffiti over the weekend.
- Few candidates have stepped up so far to be the running mate of State Treasurer Stacy Garrity, the Pennsylvania Republican Party’s endorsed candidate for governor since September.
- Temple University Health System and Jefferson Health are the latest area health systems to sue pharmacy benefit managers and pharmaceutical companies over high insulin pricing.
- A disability watchdog group has closed its investigation into child abuse in the autistic support program at a Central Bucks elementary school.
- Thousands of University of Pennsylvania graduate student workers could strike next month if they do not reach a contract deal with the university by then.
- Ena Widjojo, the owner and longtime celebrated chef at Indonesian restaurant Hardena in South Philadelphia, has died at 73. And Temple assistant men’s basketball coach Bill Courtney died suddenly at the age of 55, the school announced Tuesday.
- A $150 million streetscape project will break ground this week to bring South Broad Street more trees, public art, traffic calming, and redesigned medians and sidewalks.
- Kevin Patullo is out as the Eagles’ offensive coordinator, the team announced Tuesday, a widely expected move that came two days after they were knocked from the playoffs. Plus, meet the viral 11-year-old Birds fan who wants Patullo “flipping burgers.”
Quote of the day
The viral, 93-year-old Avril Davidge wants to keep in touch with her new Mummer friends after making the transatlantic flight to see them perform. But her Instagram account was mysteriously taken down. She’s part of a growing number of people allegedly being banned by faulty artificial intelligence systems.
🧠 Trivia time
Another Wawa is closing in Philadelphia — the latest in a string of closures in recent years — after its new digital-order-only system fell flat. Where is it?
A) Across from Independence Hall
B) On Aramingo Avenue
C) At 17th and Arch Streets
D) On Drexel University’s campus
Think you know? Check your answer.
What (and whom) we’re …
🍹 Attending: Philly’s first-ever Dry January bar crawl.
🦅 Meeting: The local team who took us behind the scenes of this Eagles season on HBO’s Hard Knocks.
🥊 Reading: This Inquirer archive dive on the Rocky statue’s arrival controversy.
🐟 Tentatively trying: Trout chowder and other Pennsylvania delicacies at the Farm Show.
🌲 Considering: The majesty of America’s national parks, including those in our own city.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: Center City events hub, the Pennsylvania _ _
OVEN INTERCONNECT
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.
Cheers to Adam Lees, who solved Tuesday’s anagram: Max’s Steaks. The North Philadelphia sandwich shop is being sold after three decades. Far from tourist hubs, it was recently featured in the Creed movies.
Photo of the day
Paola has you covered for the next few days. Until we meet again in your inbox, be well.
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