Fighting the 'fear factor'

Rocked by two homicides last month, East Mt. Airy residents joined civic leaders to rally against recent violence.

by MICHAEL J. MISHAK

What some thought were firecrackers turned out to be the gunshots that ended Joseph Wiley's life.

Wiley, 30, was gunned down in the 7100 block of Chew Avenue near Durham Street in East Mt. Airy on May 13.

Two weeks later, another man was killed in the vicinity of Germantown Avenue and Washington Lane near Duval Street. Police suspect the homicide was drug-related.

The recent violence has spurred community leaders to increase awareness and demand involvement. Residents say Wiley's shooting death shattered the neighborhood's long-standing record. Police declined to offer official statistics.

"We haven't had a homicide in years," said Vernon Price, Democratic Leader for the 22nd Ward and administrative aide to Councilwoman Donna Reed Miller. "To have two in a month makes us a community at risk," said Price, who has lived in Mt. Airy for 28 years.

Fearing retaliation from drug dealers, many residents hide behind closed doors, Price said. Some are too intimidated to call 911, he said, while others simply do not trust the system to preserve their anonymity.

Price was joined last week by civic and political leaders in an urgent call for neighbors to break their silence at an anti-violence vigil.

Armed with a bullhorn and narcotic complaint forms, Price attracted about two dozen neighbors to the intersection of Chew Avenue and Durham Street, the site of Wiley's killing.

"I'm here to make a statement about violence and death," Price said. "Our community is in a crisis. I'm not asking you to confront drug dealers, but I am asking you to pick up the telephone and call 911. Get involved."

He maintained that all information is kept confidential.

Police are deployed according to the 911 reporting system, said Rick Saunders, president of East Mt. Airy's Safe Streets Committee. "Decisions are based on hard data," Saunders said. "Second or third-hand anecdotal evidence is useless."

"If people don't make the call, it's not in the system," Price added. "And if it's not in the system, it didn't happen."

With several drug corners in sight, Price urged the community to volunteer any information they may have about the killings. "If you think you're protecting someone, you're not," he said. "You're contributing to murder after the fact. The blood is on your hands. We have to tell the drug dealers to take it someplace else."

David Council, 62, said he was shocked by the recent violence. Council, who has lived in his Mt. Airy Avenue home for 30 years, said car break-ins and occasional burglaries were the worst crimes in the neighborhood prior to last month's homicides. "I've never heard of an incident like this in Mt. Airy," Council said of the killing. "This is a stable area. Something like this raises concern in anybody's mind."

Concerned the killings may signal an eroding quality of life, Price hopes last week's gathering will grow when he stages another vigil this Thursday.

"We're not going to stand idly by while young people are being gunned down in our streets," Price said. "There's a fear factor. We have a right to be afraid, but we also have a right to live in peace."

Price underscored the importance of a community response, regardless of Wiley's criminal background. Wiley, who lived in the 200 block of E. Penn Street in Germantown, had 25 prior arrests and was part of an area theft ring that preyed on cars in Chestnut Hill and Mt. Airy, police said. Relatives at the vigil also verified he was involved in the drug scene.

"He may have been a drug user, but he deserved to be treated like a human being," Price said, as family members wept. "He was still someone's son, someone's brother. Just because you're involved with drugs doesn't mean you shouldn't have a second chance at life. Part of this community died with him. We will not let his life pass without making a statement."

Price called on neighborhood men to take leadership roles before the onset of the "siege mentality" that has paralyzed communities in other sections of the city.

Following the vigil, children led a march through the surrounding blocks, chanting, "Drug dealers, drug dealers, you can't hide. We charge you with genocide."

Marc Stier, president of West Mt. Airy Neighbors, said crime doesn't recognize the Germantown Avenue border between the two communities.

"We can't be safe unless the whole community is safe," Stier said. "We all have to take responsibility for Mt. Airy." He implored those who distrust the 911 system to anonymously contact the Mt. Airy Safety Network, which relays crime information to police.

The Mt. Airy Business Association has offered a $500 reward for information leading to the arrest of Wiley's killers.

"If we don't get involved now, we might as well wash our hands of this whole community," Price said. "When did drug activity become acceptable behavior?" he asked. "When did taking a gun out and shooting someone become acceptable? What kind of madness is this community accepting?"

Police still have no motive or suspects for Wiley's killing.

Residents are encouraged to report crime to police by calling 911 or contacting the 14th District at 215-686-3140 or 3142. Those who wish to remain anonymous may call the Mt. Airy Safety Network at 215-438-6022 or Councilwoman Donna Reed Miller's office at 2145-686-3425.