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Philadelphia’s former Democratic mayor blasted the city’s current Democratic district attorney and called his recent comments on the record crime surge in Philadelphia as among the most "ignorant" and "insulting" comments ever spoken by an elected official.
Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner responded to the city’s crime surge, which includes 521 murders so far this year, by saying earlier this week, "We don’t have a crisis of lawlessness, we don’t have a crisis of crime, we don’t have a crisis of violence."
PHILADELPHIA, PA - DECEMBER 30: Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner addresses the media after a press conference announcing Danielle Outlaw as the new Police Commissioner on December 30, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mark Makela/Getty Images) (Mark Makela/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA DA KRASNER SAYS CITY DOES NOT 'HAVE A CRISIS OF CRIME' DESPITE RECORD HOMICIDES
The 521 murders represent a 13% increase compared to 2020 and the city's highest number of killings since at least 2007.
Former Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, who served in office as a Democrat from 2008 to 2016, took issue with Krasner’s characterization of the murder uptick in an op-ed published by the Philadelphia Inquirer Tuesday.
"District Attorney Larry Krasner’s recent remarks about whether we are experiencing a crime crisis are some of the worst, most ignorant, and most insulting comments I have ever heard spoken by an elected official," Nutter wrote.
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Nutter then accused Krasner of "white wokeness" and "white privilege."
"It takes a certain audacity of ignorance and white privilege to say that right now," Nutter, a black man, wrote in the article. "As of Monday night, 521 people, souls, spirits have been vanquished, eliminated, murdered in our City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection, the most since 1960. I have to wonder what kind of messed up world of white wokeness Krasner is living in to have so little regard for human lives lost, many of them Black and brown, while he advances his own national profile as a progressive district attorney."
Nutter asked Krasner in the article how many more black and brown Philadelphians have to die before he will refer to the rise in murders as a "crisis" while also calling for a public apology.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - DECEMBER 30: (L) Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner reacts while being mentioned by Danielle Outlaw at a press conference announcing her as the new Police Commissioner on December 30, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mark Makela/Getty Images) (Getty)
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Nutter called on Krasner, whose campaign for district attorney was heavily funded by progressive megadonor George Soros, to be more active in prosecuting crimes and accused him of pushing an "anti-police" narrative.
Krasner has cited statistics showing the rate of total violent offenses in the city is down about 3% year-over-year, with armed robberies – which have increased 27% since 2020 – being the only other violent crime besides homicide that has gone up in 2021. Rape, unarmed robberies and aggravated assaults have decreased since last year. Property crime has risen 5% year-over-year.
Photo shows the crime scene where a Philadelphia police officer was shot in August 2021 (WTXF FOX29) (WTXF FOX29)
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"It’s important that we don’t let this become mushy and bleed into the notion that there is some kind of big spike in crime," Krasner said Monday. "There isn't. There is not a big spike in crime. …There is not a big spike in violent crime. Neither one of these things is true."
Krasner’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
Last month, Krasner cruised to a reelection victory, beating a Republican challenger who accused him of being soft on crime by nearly 40 points.
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