A man who crossed paths with a group of teenagers Friday afternoon in Old City ended up in the hospital with broken teeth and a wired jaw after the youths attacked him at Fourth and Walnut Streets.
Seven hours later, a crowd of young people cut a path of destruction through several Center City blocks, assaulting four other men, apparently at random, and leaving one unconscious and bleeding from the head. Of the four people arrested in those attacks, one is an 11-year-old boy.
On Monday, city officials promised to come down hard on anyone caught committing such acts of violence. They also said they were developing a "coordinated response" to deal with random youth attacks, a problem for more than a year despite increased patrols and a shift toward stricter punishments for offenders.
"We do not tolerate violence by any individuals in our city, and we will continue to respond with the full force of our city's justice system to kids who disrespect their city," Mayor Nutter said in a statement. "These troubled young people are only a small percentage of our city's youth, yet their impulsive actions impact all of our citizens. We need parents to know where their kids are every night. We need mentors to reach out into their communities and work with young people. We need the Police Department to be a continually visible presence on our streets. We need the District Attorney's Office and the courts to prosecute these offenders and make it clear that this behavior has very serious consequences."
Details are to be unveiled next Monday. The mayor said the plan would take into account enforcement options, prosecution, counseling, and neighborhood outreach.
The Police Department on Monday also announced the launch of SafeCam, an online program that allows residents and businesses to register their security cameras with the city, to help police apprehend suspects quickly.
For police, the problem of so-called flash mobs or "wilding" youths has proved frustrating. The city gained national attention last year for stories about large packs of teenagers tearing down sidewalks, knocking over pedestrians, fighting, and vandalizing the Macy's store in Center City.
