Philadelphia leaders worry as recreation center shootings spike across the city

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Recent acts of gun violence in Philadelphia are impacting the city's children by taking away spaces meant for children to play.

Several rec centers throughout the city were scenes of recent violent crimes, which is leaving some people worried about how to keep the facilities safe.

While kids were having fun Thursday night at the Amos Recreation Center, father Ralph Ellis says he feels uneasy.

He's worried there could be a shooting.

"I worry all the time," said Ellis, from North Philadelphia. "Be on alert, make sure you're looking around in case something happens."

He says he wants security for his children.

On Wednesday, another teenager was shot at Dendy Recreation Center.

Last week, 24-year-old Donte Moore was killed at the Awbury Recreation Center.

Since 2019, there have been more than 300 shootings at Philadelphia rec centers.

"Yesterday at Dendy our staff member saw the teen on the ground bleeding," said Brett Bessler, from union group Local 2186.

Bessler's union represents more than 100 rec center employees.

He told Action News they had a plan to make rec centers safer, but it would cost an additional $18 million.

"With that $18 million, we could have security guards at every rec center. We can have two full-time programming staff. We can add social workers and recreational therapists," said Bessler.

Last week, Philadelphia officials installed 100 cameras at 14 different rec centers. One of those cameras captured an image of the suspect in the Dendy shooting.

But, Bessler says the cameras are only the start.

"When it comes to prevention we're just not sure," he said.

Action News spoke with Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney about the ongoing violence.

"We don't have the capacity to put an officer at every playground. We just don't have, well we probably have the money, but we don't have the bodies," said Kenney.

He also said there are too many guns for criminals to get their hands on.

"The common denominator of every one of these tragedies is a gun," he added.

There has been no arrest made in the Dendy shooting, officials say, but a weapon has been recovered.