I doubt more Police on the streets corners of North Philly or West Philly would do anything to stop the wanton violence associated with the city's drug market. The hard thing about Philly for Police is often that most drug gangs are small and usually related by geography or family. Up in the badlands there are some big time Latin American street gangs, however, North and West Philly are made up of a lot of smaller, independent crews. It kind of reminds me of what is happening in Mexico with the cartels but on a much much smaller scale. When the Mexican Navy kills a Cartel leader the group splinters and then those smaller groups start fighting for control of certain territories. When the leaders of those smaller splinter groups get killed they splinter and start fighting again and on and on ad infinitum. That's why there are so many drug murders in Philly because every 16 year old with a gun can pop somebody and there are no real repercussions for them in the criminal underworld because there is no leadership. If there were more cohesive gangs there would probably be FEWER murders. Does that mean I am advocating allowing street gangs to flourish? NO NO NO, but I think the old "Cut off the head and the body dies" attitude is more harmful to society in the long run. Gangs are more like the Lernaean Hydra, you lop off one head and two grow back.