By Christopher Oluwole – DAO DATA CoLab
On June 16, 2026, The District Attorney’s Office and the DATA Lab hosted the CoLab Pilot Initiative Summit, celebrating and highlighting the work of eight community-based partners in reducing gun violence and other pressing matters in Philadelphia. The summit presented an opportunity for the eight community-based partners and the associated CoLab coordinators to present the various data related projects that were established and implemented over the past 2.5 years of partnership. During the summit, the community-based organizations each unveiled their organization’s unique data-informed project.
With regard to the West Philadelphia based community organization Philly Truce, the CoLab Pilot Initiative presented an opportunity to innovate and utilize criminal legal data to further develop and inform their flagship program coined “Operation Hug the Block Peace Patrol.” Such data access has allowed Philly Truce to formalize many of their Peace Patrol processes and track their impact. Additionally, Philly Truce programming and outreach continues to grow, as well as the stakeholder and community support driving their work. With all of this in mind, the organization expressed the desire to share the history, foundation, purpose and vision for their work, while also showcasing the innovation and growth that has occurred along the way. Thus, Philly Truce produced the Philly Truce Report.
The Philly Truce Report discusses the problems that founders Mazzie Casher and Steven Pickens set out to address when they established Philly Truce in the year 2020. The report discusses the historical and present context of the City of Philadelphia, the social determinants of crime, and distrust in the legal system that has stemmed from a history of disinvestment, over policing, and mass incarceration in Black communities. The report also provides an overview of Philly Truce operations, and specifically provides comprehensive insight into their flagship program, Operation Hug the Block Peace Patrol. The report will be featured on the Philly Truce website ABOUT PEACE PATROL
Philly Truce encourages current and potential stakeholders, partners, academic intuitions and the general public to review the report for an intimate understanding of the history, motivation, and vison of a better and more equitable Philadelphia that Philly Truce covets.
*The views and opinions expressed in the Philly Truce Report do not reflect the views of the DAO and its staff.
Acknowledgements
The DATA CoLab is honored to work with organizations like Philly Truce.
We welcome feedback, comments, and inquiries to collaborate with the CoLab or support for the associated community partners at [email protected].
The DATA CoLab is made possible through funding from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD).