On Wednesday July 29th, District Attorney Seth Williams stood before a crowd of about thirty on the Hancock Street patio in Northern Liberties. Williams was leading an entourage between bar fronts in the Piazza’s courtyard for his third community open house and walk-through of 2015. According to the announcement from the DA’s Office, he will be holding community walks and open houses through the summer and into the fall.

“We’re not here to go for a walk through the neighborhood to shout at drug dealers — that has its place, we did a lot of that in the 90s,” Williams said.

The District Attorney told The Spirit that he created the Community Action Center (CAC) at the Piazza and that he returns to this East Division outreach center for a walk-through of the neighborhood each year. According to Williams, the only effective response to the crisis in law enforcement’s relationship with the community it serves is a proactive, personal engagement with the people of that community.

The CACs are offices located within the DA’s individual administrative divisions, where representatives of the District Attorney are available to take input from local residents and also provide them with answers about the function of the office and how it can serve them. These centers are part of a wider DA Office strategy, “an extension of Community Prosecution,” according to a 2012 release regarding the third CAC’s opening in North Philadelphia.

That release further explained the “Community Prosecution” approach:

“[G]roups of Assistant District Attorneys are assigned to particular districts in the city, just like police officers.  By prosecuting in zones or districts the Assistant District Attorneys get to personally know the community in their districts, and are able to work with law enforcement, residents, local officials and others to develop and implement crime reduction and crime prevention strategies.”

Williams said his office was established at the Piazza to “work in cooperation and collaboration with the police, to help neighbors feel safer, to help train them, talk to them about ways we can reduce crime. At the District Attorney’s Office of Philadelphia, we’re committed to crime reduction and reducing recidivism.”

One grisly incident in Northern Liberties in 2009 acted as the catalyst for the creation of the CAC.

“Almost five years ago there was a tragic double homicide here,” Williams said, ”and shortly thereafter, I spoke with Bart Blatstein who developed this property — I couldn’t think of a better place for our first community action center.”

That double homicide occurred during a robbery inside the controlled-access confines of the Piazza’s residential apartments on June 27, 2009. Will “Pooh” Hook, who prosecutors say was the ringleader of the plot, and convicted gunmen Donnell Murchison, Antonio Wright and Edward Daniels were responsible for the deaths of Rian Thal and Timothy Gilmore, who were shot in the hallway of the Piazza. The men were all given life sentences, without the possibility of parole.

The robbers fled in a panic before they could get into Thal’s apartment, where they believed that she had $500,000 cash. Police found about $110,000 and nearly nine pounds of cocaine in the apartment while investigating the murders. In 2012 Katoya Jones, another resident of the apartments, pleaded guilty to letting the gunmen into the building in exchange for a $50,000 cut of their takings, the Daily News reported in June of 2012. Several other accomplices received lesser sentences of varying lengths.

“This is for us to have a presence in the community, to walk to meet neighbors, to let them know that we have an office here, let them know what the DA’s Office does, how they can work with the 26th Police District,” Williams said to the crowd during brief remarks before the walk began.

Cameron Kline, communications director and spokesman for the District Attorney — and, it must be said, one of the most hard working and helpful people we deal with in city government — told The Spirit:

“The easiest way to look at the Community Action Center is as a first point of contact and a conduit to the District Attorney’s office for the community.” There are now five CACs and, according to Kline, the DA’s office is looking at spaces for a sixth, in South Philly.

Captain George Kappe, commanding officer of the 26th police district, added “Just to reiterate everything that DA Williams said already, it’s a partnership between the police, the District Attorney’s office and all the community groups.”

The DA’s East Division, which the Community Action Center serves from the Piazza office and was donated by the Westminster Management Corporation, includes the 24th, 25th, and 26th police districts. It serves a large Latino population, especially in the Kensington section.

Juvencio Gonzales is Special Assistant to Lieutenant Governor Mike Stack and focuses on latina affairs. He says his job makes him the “eyes and ears” of the Lieutenant Governor’s office when it comes to meeting the needs of Latino constituents. He was also at the Piazza Wednesday evening. It was his first open house after having, only recently, heard about the event.

“This is very crucial,” Gonzales told The Spirit. “It’s very important for citizens to have a voice. They can come in directly to the Center and voice their opinion of what’s affecting their neighborhoods. When you talk about accessibility and accountability, that’s exactly what you want in your community.”

He added:

“The good part of this office is you have Latinos and Latinas working for the DA so there won’t be a language barrier, and they can actually talk to someone they trust.”

The walk-through brought DA Williams and Northern Liberties CAC representative Zeli Colón  from the Piazza and through Liberties Walk. They were accompanied by Captain Kappe, assistant prosecutors from Williams’ office, area residents and some press. Williams stopped at every occupied patio to speak with diners and drinkers, many of whom were apparently already close acquaintances with the DA.

Williams continued the amiable parade throughout much of the 26th police district for an hour, before returning to the CAC.

The Northern Liberties CAC is located at the Piazza at Schmidt’s, 1050 North Hancock Street,

Building #59. The telephone number is (215) 592-4427. It’s run by Zeli Colón, Director of Hispanic Outreach & Community Action Center Representative.