Philadelphia’s new 211 violence prevention hotline has received several hundred calls since launch, according to city officials, and people in areas most affected by gun violence were among the most likely to seek help.
From its late March 2022 debut through late December, 457 people called the violence prevention hotline, per the city.
Many were looking for help with other things — food, utilities, housing — but 194 of them, 42%, were specifically seeking violence prevention-related resources.
Ten trained “Resource Navigators” handle Philly calls to the around-the-clock service. It’s free and confidential, and four out of five callers accepted their offer to receive a follow-up to check if they received the needed help.