by KYW's Paul Kurtz
Philadelphia mayoral candidate Michael Nutter says one of his priorities will be reducing the city's out-of-control murder rate.
Nutter appeared in Frankford on Tuesday with two federal politicians he intends to rely on heavily if he wins the election: US senator Bob Casey Jr. and congresswoman Alison Schwartz.
Says Nutter:
"It really makes a difference when the city, state, and federal representatives are coordinating their efforts to bring their resources to Philadelphia."
Two key crimefighting resources are the Justice Department's "Cops" program, which provides funding for local communities to put more police officers on the streets, and the Byrne grant program.
Casey says both need to better funded but are in danger of being virtually eliminated:
"The president of the United States wants to cut these programs by 97 percent -- that's the reality."
Nutter also wants more funding for the city's youth violence reduction programs, and more reliance on technology:
"Video outdoor surveillance is being used in Baltimore, Chicago, and New York and many other cities across the country."
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