Recovering drug addict blames Philly leaders for 'encouraging' criminals to 'break all the rules' they want
Local businesses reportedly place ‘booby traps’ to protect from addicts, homeless
Recovering addict puts blame on Philadelphia leaders for drug crisis
Philadelphia business owner and recovered addict Frank Rodriguez argues the city's drug and homeless problems are 'encouraged' by local politicians.
After sharing his first-hand experiences on Philadelphia’s drug-stricken streets, one local business owner and recovering addict has criticized city officials for causing the crisis.
"I blame the city officials 100%. It's allowed to go down there. This is done right in front of the law enforcement," Frank Rodriguez said on "Varney & Co." Monday. "It's allowed to go down, it's tolerated, if not encouraged, in that area. You can come to Kensington and break all the rules that you want."
Taking Fox News Digital on a recent tour of the Philadelphia suburb, Rodriguez showed the "in-your-face horrors" plaguing the neighborhood: people sleeping on business doorsteps, using the bathroom there as well as illicit substances.
"What I see is chaos," Rodriguez told host Stuart Varney. "I see businesses having to set up sprinkler systems that are set up on a remote where they can hit a button, and it'll spray water if there's people laying down on the sidewalks."
"There's numerous times where you'll see human feces, people using the bathroom right in front of their doorsteps," he continued. "And a lot of them are going through withdrawals, they're literally laying in their own vomit, in their own feces."
Homeless people are seen on streets of the Kensington neighborhood on July 06, 2023. as homelessness and drug addiction hit Philadelphia. Many openly inject opioids into their hands, arms and necks. (Getty Images)
As storefronts put in place so-called "booby traps," Kensington has also gained international attention for its excessive public drug use and has become a focal point for high crime and poverty in the City of Brotherly Love. The neighborhood had among the worst violent and drug crime rates citywide over a 30-day period ending Aug. 14, according to data compiled by The Philadelphia Inquirer.
In addition, Kensington's violent crime rate was around 30% higher than the rest of the city from 2012 to 2016, while the area's average income per capita was half the average citywide salary, according to a Drexel University study published in October 2019. The area also had more complaints about graffiti removal, illegal dumping, vacant houses and dangerous buildings than the city at large.
Rodriguez called out local officials’ hypocrisy, arguing if you walk four or five blocks in any direction away from the Kensington neighborhood, police seem to care a lot more about illegal activity.
CRISIS IN KENSINGTON: Businesses setting up 'booby traps' for protection
In Kensington's open-air drug market, some businesses struggle to entice prospective customers as drug users loiter or pass out on their front stoops.
"I'm a business owner myself, and I couldn't imagine my customers that want to support my business having to bring their children or themselves through this type of chaos just to support my business," he said.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, the Philadelphia mayor’s office said it shares the concerns voiced by residents and businesses about the health and safety challenges presented by the Kensington neighborhood while clarifying that law enforcement has a dedicated headquarters there. The spokesperson also encouraged people to call 311 or use an online submission form to report concerns, and noted the city has just concluded a 30-day encampment resolution process.
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Identifying as a recovering addict, Rodriguez expressed his hopes that others dealing with the personal struggle can one day share a comeback story such as his.
"My wife found me in the bathroom basically dead, and I just realized, man, I almost absolutely caused the biggest pain and heartbreak to my family and loved ones. And it would have been all my fault, nobody else to blame," he reflected. "And I realized I wanted more for myself. I wanted more for my children."
Fox News’ Megan Myers and Jon Michael Raasch contributed to this report.