[UC] Herding Teens

[Joe Clarke]

I've also noticed on two Saturday evenings Penn police, en-masse, 
herding underage kids from the area at 40th and Walnut.  I've noticed 
over the past year large groups of African American youth around the 
area of 40th & Spruce up til 40th & Walnut streets and also at Strikes.  
I noted, too, that at least one of the places that the groups would 
congregate, Penn Arcade, on Spruce west of 40th, has since burned down, 
eliminating one gathering spot. 
   Last evening about 10:30 Penn police (and Philadelphia Police) were 
at 40th & Market herding the kids north and some into the Blue Line.  
The police were standing in a line on the south side of Market blocking 
the way of a large group of teens who tried to go back down 40th.  I was 
getting off at 40th where the trollies are detoured on weekends, and saw 
the sometimes frightening group action:  I thought there might be 
violence.  Instead a large number of adolescents went very loudly into 
the Blue line station, where I was headed.  The kids were kids: loud, 
mischievous, but otherwise well behaved; it was the numbers that were 
startling.  If anyone knows anything more about this phenomenon and what 
Penn's been doing about it, I would like to know.

Joe C.
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