The Society Hill Fund

Dear Friends, Neighbors, Residents & Business Owners in Society Hill,

Summer time is upon us once again and once again the Delancey Square Town Watch is launching our annual Summer Security fundraiser.

This is our 3rd Summer in a row raising funds in order to hire private security to patrol our streets, acting as an extra set of Eyes and Ears helping to keep our neighborhood just a little safer during the hectic summer months. In the last 2 Summers we’ve raised over $100,000.00 from residents and businesses.

Having private security on our streets has proven to be a tremendous asset, resulting in positive outcomes, including but not limited to:

-A drop in car breaks ins

-A drop in vandalism, including graffiti

-A drop in package thefts

-A drop in public disturbances often rolling over from South Street

The team of seasoned security guards are also trained on how to properly inform 911 dispatch of an incident in progress, resulting in quicker response times as well how to approach those struggling with homelessness, offering outreach and contacting Project Home’s 24-hour assistance line, and much more.

Overall, they create a sense of added safety, not only for our residents and business owners, but also to the many tourists who visit our beautiful neighborhood. In fact, this has proven to be so effective, that not only does Old City do this, but even our neighbors in Queen Village have started to hire security!

THE COVERAGE AREA

The DSTW coverage area is from:

-Front to 5th Street

-Spruce to Gaskill

-Head House Square

This includes monitoring all of the streets within this perimeter and the parking lot on Front street managed by the SHCA.

SECURITY DETAIL & FUNDRAISING GOAL

The Security detail is as follows:

-2 uniformed, unarmed guards – (Fully insured, licensed and bonded)

-1 guard on foot and 1 guard in a patrol car

-4 nights per week (Thur, Fri, Sat and Sun)

-8-hour shifts (typically 7pm to 3am)

Reports with images and a description of the weekend detail are provided to us, which we then share with you via email, so you may stay informed as to what's happening in our neighborhood.

The timeframe we typically aim for is 14 weeks starting roughly in June to Labor Day weekend, to as late as mid September depending on the weather. We also hire private security on October 31st to man the barricade at 3rd and Pine when we have the street blocked off for the Halloween festivities.

Based on the above, this year’s fundraising goal is $45,000.00.

HOW TO DONATE & WHAT TO KNOW

Donating toward Summer Security is easy and due to our affiliation with the 501c3 organization, the Society Hill Fund, your contribution is a tax deduction! If you’d like to learn more about SHF, please visit: https://societyhillfund.org

You can donate directly via the Go Fund Me link or, if you prefer to issue a check, please be sure to follow the directions provided in the email blast.

Your donations are 100% secure. You may remain anonymous, or you can leave us a message on the GFM page once you donate.

Whether we fall short, reach the goal or exceed it, we will adjust the Summer Security schedule, meaning we will have security on the ground no matter what!

We will keep you updated on the GML as well as via our email blasts. Although the goal is flexible, if only 300 residents and biz owners donated $150 each, we'd hit that goal in no time. There are certainly many more residents than that in the coverage area so feel free to share this fundraiser with anyone you know that lives within the blocks referenced above! That said, whether you can donate $25.00 or $1000.00 dollars, every dollar helps in creating a safer neighborhood for everyone.

Thank you!

Joe Dain

Co-Founder

Delancey Square Town Watch

P.S.

For those of you new to us, below is a link of me being interviewed by ABC Action News reporter, Christie Ileto in May of 2023 when we first launched this effort.

https://6abc.com/philadelphia-crime-private-security-society-hill-delancy-town-watch/13267364/