A Secret Community With Secret Crimes

11 January 2005 - 5:00am

Philadelphia's Mexican immigrant population isn't reporting rampant crime.

"South Philly is the epicenter of the local working-class Mexican immigrant population. It's an undocumented community that remains virtually invisible, its members tucked away in crowded apartments and working" long shifts for minimum wage. Many Philadelphia Mexicans can't afford to live in good neighborhoods and aren't legally allowed to drive; they can't apply for a bank account so they keep most of their money on them or in their apartments. As a result, they are pinned as easy targets for crime, also because most won't report incidents out of fear of deportation. Can the local police department work with the immigrant community to find solutions?

Full Story: Borderline Realities
Source: Philadelphia Weekly, January 5, 2005
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Much like Victorian reformers of the 1890s, we find ourselves at a pivotal moment for urban reform. Rather than standardization, sanitation, and social order, cities are now looking to promote "livability" and "sustainability".