South Philly Mom Harnesses Internet Power To Fight Neighborhood Crime
By Cherri Gregg
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A South Philadelphia woman has become a one-woman crimefighter using social media after vandals hit very close to home.
Carol Lanni moved back to South Philadelphia last year. She grew up near Bouvier Street, where she now lives, and to her it's always been safe.
But that image was shattered a few weeks ago.
"My son was mugged by eight to nine juveniles, a block away from his home," Lanni recalls.
The idea that her 12-year-old could have been killed over an iPhone forced her to action. She got on Facebook and started the page "Taking Our South Philadelphia Streets Back."
"This page has totally networked right through South Philadelphia," Lanni tells KYW Newsradio. "People are frustrated about the amount of crime."
In just three weeks the Facebook page has more than 2,600 "likes," with neighbors reporting crimes right online.
"If you see something, say something. You have to call police," Lanni asserts.
Next, she is hoping to organize her neighbors and create a town watch organization.
