Race And Law In Philadelphia :: essays research papers

RACE AND THE LAW IN PHILADELPHIA   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If you’re ever driving down I-95 through Philadelphia, you will notice an exit for Allegheny Avenue. Allegheny Ave is one of the most dangerous parts of Philly you can drive through. Predominantly black with some Puerto Ricans and a handful of whites, Allegheny is situated between the Delaware River and abandoned industrial complexes. Windows are kept closed and doors are locked as you drive past bums, drug dealers, scorched abandoned cars, sleazy strip bars, cops and crack heads. You can buy cocaine and marijuana on almost every side street just by driving down with your window rolled down. Corners with lots of shoes hanging from a single telephone poll advertise heroin and crack. Once you drive under the L-train, you can amuse yourself by playing the spot-the-prostitute-game. Paddy wagons are never parked to far away and cops patrol by, ignoring the misdemeanors around them and just trying to make worthwhile arrests.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If you go no more than 20 minutes west, you’ll end up in Manyunk, which is directly on the border of Philadelphia, and to residents, is considered part of it. Unlike Allegheny Ave, the main street is littered with import stores, hip coffee houses, yuppie bars and colorful banners that welcome you to the town. It’s a perfect place for happy couples and families to go for shopping, dinning, and entertainment. The surrounding neighborhoods mainly consist of white people who have grown up in Philadelphia. There are plenty of barking dogs, swing sets and kids who play street hockey without a worry besides being home by dinner. The families are mainly blue-collar workers that are able to send their kids to parochial schools. Everyone knows everyone else in the neighborhood and you get the sense that people watch out for each other. Occasionally a cop will patrol by but nothing ever really goes on besides the occasional breaking of the noise curfew. All in all, there isn’t a lot of law enforcement there because there doesn’t need to be.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  You’re probably wondering why these two neighborhoods are different. A lot of different factors come into play but I will attempt to explain it anyway. First, environment definitely seems to be a big factor in the direction a community will take. Allegheny Ave is pretty much detached from a lot of the city. The schools are seriously over-crowded and are known to be dangerous.