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Philadelphia fire: Families sue Housing Authority for rowhome fire that killed 12 in Fairmount

PHILADELPHIA - A devastating fire claimed the lives of 12 people, including nine children, in Philadelphia last year; and now the victims' families are taking legal action.The families of five people killed in the Fairmount rowhome fire are suing building owner the Philadelphia Housing Authority, the city’s public housing agency and the state’s biggest landlord."This terrible tragedy resulting in precious loss of life could and should have been avoided… we are now prepared to move forward, seeking not only compensation, but accountability," Tom Kline, of Kline & Specter, announced in a statement Tuesday.The lawsuit claims the Housing Authority knew the 4-bedroom apartment was overcrowded with 14 people, and that the building had no fire escape or hardwired smoke detectors.RELATED COVERAGE: Philadelphia fire: Lighter, Christmas tree started fire that killed 12 in FairmountNine children were among the 12 people who died in the January 2022 blaze, which officials later said was caused by a Christmas tree ignited by a lighter."We believe with certainty - so 99 to 100% confidence - that the first item ignited in this blaze was a Christmas tree," Philadelphia Fire Commissioner Adam Thiel said after an investigation last year. "We believe with near certainty, based on the evidence, the ignition source for this tree was a lighter that was located nearby."Fourteen people were authorized to live in the four-bedroom upper apartment that "suffered the tragedy," Kelvin Jeremiah, the housing authority's president and CEO, said last year.

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Adam Thiel - Philadelphia fire: Families sue Housing Authority for rowhome fire that killed 12 in Fairmount - fox29.com - Philadelphia
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Philadelphia fire: Families sue Housing Authority for rowhome fire that killed 12 in Fairmount
PHILADELPHIA - A devastating fire claimed the lives of 12 people, including nine children, in Philadelphia last year; and now the victims' families are taking legal action.The families of five people killed in the Fairmount rowhome fire are suing building owner the Philadelphia Housing Authority, the city’s public housing agency and the state’s biggest landlord."This terrible tragedy resulting in precious loss of life could and should have been avoided… we are now prepared to move forward, seeking not only compensation, but accountability," Tom Kline, of Kline & Specter, announced in a statement Tuesday.The lawsuit claims the Housing Authority knew the 4-bedroom apartment was overcrowded with 14 people, and that the building had no fire escape or hardwired smoke detectors.RELATED COVERAGE: Philadelphia fire: Lighter, Christmas tree started fire that killed 12 in FairmountNine children were among the 12 people who died in the January 2022 blaze, which officials later said was caused by a Christmas tree ignited by a lighter."We believe with certainty - so 99 to 100% confidence - that the first item ignited in this blaze was a Christmas tree," Philadelphia Fire Commissioner Adam Thiel said after an investigation last year. "We believe with near certainty, based on the evidence, the ignition source for this tree was a lighter that was located nearby."Fourteen people were authorized to live in the four-bedroom upper apartment that "suffered the tragedy," Kelvin Jeremiah, the housing authority's president and CEO, said last year.
John Walker - Philadelphia police hope revamped recruitment process will help address staffing issues - fox29.com - Philadelphia
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Philadelphia police hope revamped recruitment process will help address staffing issues
PHILADELPHIA - The Philadelphia Police Department hopes to hire hundreds of new officers over the next year with the help of a revamped recruitment process. Commanding Officer of the Recruitment and Background Investigation Unit Captain John Walker called the need for more officers "dire" and touted the upward mobility the department offers. "We are in dire need right now we want to hire over 1,000 people over the next few years, and we want to hire diverse groups of people from all over," Walker told FOX 29's Kelly Rule. There are immediate areas where the city can improve, especially in neighborhoods that deal with less crime and some districts that offer a higher starting salary. "If you want to have daily interaction and a lot of opportunity, the chance of promotion in a big city where you have 1 year in rank and you can promote up is unheard of in smaller departments," Walker said.The department's desperate need to find more officers isn't unique to only Philadelphia, cities across the country are also finding their police forces severely depleted. The biggest challenge seems to be trying to convince people to become police officers amid rampant gun violence and issues with community relations. In Philadelphia, the department is offering full benefits and a salary of almost $64k after six months in the academy.
Jeff Cole - Philadelphia Controller's review of police spending details staffing issues, varying 911 response times - fox29.com - Philadelphia
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Philadelphia Controller's review of police spending details staffing issues, varying 911 response times
PHILADELPHIA - In a city struggling with violent crime, the Philadelphia City Controller’s Office has found that there are fewer police officers now than in recent years. "In total, we have over 640 fewer officers available for duty than we had 5 years ago," City Controller Rebecca Rhynhart explained in an interview with FOX 29’s Jeff Cole. Of the 6,000 Philadelphia police officers, Rhynhart reports on 2,500 are assigned to patrol the city’s streets. Broken down of 21 police districts, the controller’s office found that number left just 11 to 22 cops on the beat at any one time - per district - in a department budgeted at more than 750 million dollars at the time of the review.PPD Uniform Officer Staffing Levels (Philadelphia Office of the Controller) "That amount of money, when it comes down to it, there’s only 11 to 22 officers at any given time per district," Rhyhart said. "That feels outrageous in a city that is overrun with gun crime. How has that happened, how has that gotten to be like that?" Cole asked. "What needs to happen is that every position needs to be looked at," Rhynhart replied. Rhynhart’s audit on police spending and practices came at the urging of City Council after Philadelphia was rocked by protests in the aftermath of the police-killing of George Floyd.So, why are there so few cops?Average Number of Officers on No Duty, Quarterly since FY 2009.
Warren Buffett - Mortgage company owned by Warren Buffet discriminated against Black homebuyers, DOJ says - fox29.com - New York - state Pennsylvania - state New Jersey - Philadelphia - state Delaware - county Camden - city Milwaukee - city Wilmington, state Delaware
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Mortgage company owned by Warren Buffet discriminated against Black homebuyers, DOJ says
FILE-A "for sale by owner" sign stands outside a home. (Daniel Acker/Bloomberg via Getty Images) NEW YORK - A Pennsylvania mortgage company owned by billionaire businessman Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway discriminated against potential Black and Latino homebuyers in Philadelphia, New Jersey and Delaware, the Department of Justice said Wednesday, in what they are calling the second-largest redlining settlement in history.Trident Mortgage Co., a division of Berkshire's HomeServices of America, deliberately avoided writing mortgages in minority-majority neighborhoods in West Philadelphia like Malcolm X Park; Camden, New Jersey; and in Wilmington, Delaware; the DOJ and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said in their settlement with Trident. As part of the agreement with the DOJ and the CFPB, Trident will have to set aside $20 million to make loans in underserved neighborhoods.RELATED: Milwaukee housing discrimination grants awarded, nearly $1M"Trident’s unlawful redlining activity denied communities of color equal access to residential mortgages, stripped them of the opportunity to build wealth, and devalued properties in their neighborhoods," said Kristen Clarke, an assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, in a prepared statement.The DOJ alleged that between 2015 and 2019 the employees of Trident, which stopped writing mortgages in 2020, made racist comments about making loans to Black homebuyers, calling certain neighborhoods "ghettos." One manager of Trident was photographed posing in front of the Confederate Flag.
Man wanted in Juniata Park homicide now sought by Boston police in stabbing incidents - fox29.com - state Massachusets - Philadelphia - county Lawrence - city Boston, state Massachusets - state Rhode Island - county Juniata
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Man wanted in Juniata Park homicide now sought by Boston police in stabbing incidents
Wagner Tejeda-Pena, 24, is wanted for allegedly shooting a 76-year-old man who was out on his routine morning walk in Philadelphia in June 2022.  (Philadelphia Police Department)PHILADELPHIA - A man Philadelphia police say is wanted in a June 21 homicide in Juniata Park is now being sought by Boston, Massachusetts police for two stabbing incidents and making threats.Wagner Tejeda-Pena, 24, is wanted for the murder of 76-year-old Loi Nguyen, who was found shot once in the head near his driveway in the alleyway behind L and Claridge Streets.According to police, Ngueyn was out for his routine morning walk in his neighborhood when he was shot unprovoked. The incident was captured on surveillance video and footage from a neighbor is believed to show Tejeda-Pena running down an alleyway towards Hunting Park after the shooting.MORE HEADLINES:Police say the suspect is also wanted for an aggravated assault on the 1200 block of East Luzerne Street that took place about 15 minutes before the deadly shooting.According to the official website of the Boston Police Department, they have named Tejeda-Pena, also known as Wagner Ernesto Pena Tejeda and Waner Tejeda, as a person who has made threats to kill family members. He is also wanted on two warrants out of West Roxbury District Court in connection with two Boston stabbing incidents.According to officials in Boston, information they have shows Tejeda-Pena might be in the Roslindale area, in Boston, or in Lawrence, Massachusetts or in Rhode Island.Anyone with any information regarding Tejeda-Pena’s whereabouts is asked to not interact with him, but to call 911 immediately.
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