Philadelphia witnessed chaos during the Trump-Harris presidential debate, with police shooting and kids being hit, and alleged offenders being released.

In Philadelphia on Tuesday, former President Trump and Vice President Harris will face off in their first 2024 presidential debate. Critics of the local Democrat leadership are highlighting crime in the city.

A former district attorney in San Francisco and Attorney General of California, Harris is known as a former top cop but has been criticized by Republicans for her policies that do not fully hold criminals accountable.

Year-to-date homicides in the city increased every year from 2019 to 2022, reaching a 16-year high before decreasing in 2023 and 2024.

As vice president, Harris does not have a direct role in Philadelphia matters, but her career trajectory in California has paved the way for progressive prosecutors who have assumed office in major cities across the U.S.

Despite a decline in violent crime over the past two years, Philadelphia's district attorney, Larry Krasner, has faced criticism for his left-wing approach to prosecution. In 2018, there were 353 homicides in the city. In 2021, there was a peak of 562 before the total dropped to 514 in 2022 and again to 410 in 2023.

Last week, Krasner wrote that the city must continue to tackle the root cause of violence, specifically citing trauma resulting from gun violence as a key factor. His office did not respond to a request for comment.

Despite a 9.73% decrease in overall violent crime this year compared to the previous one, brazen criminals still surprise the city.

David Gelman, a local defense attorney and former prosecutor, believes that the statistics may be misleading.

"Homicides have not decreased in the last two years, as stated by the authorities, because they have not officially classified them as such," he said to Planet Chronicle Digital. "Tune in to local news, and you'll see shootings and murders happening every day in the city. It's like a war zone."

This year, the city police department has recorded six shooting incidents, compared to three in the previous year, as stated on their website.

"According to Paul Mauro, a retired NYPD inspector, Philadelphia's homicides decreased to 410 last year, which is a significant achievement. However, when extrapolated to New York City's population, it still places them above the highest level of murders ever recorded in New York City, earning it the nickname "Murder Town USA.""

Mauro believes that instead of using homicides as a measure of a city's crime problems, it is more accurate to look at robberies, which saw a decline in 2022 and 2021 after spiking in previous years.

For Gelman, living just outside the city limits means facing tangible problems.

"He told Planet Chronicle Digital that he used to frequently visit the city for dinner and other activities. However, he now wouldn't go to the city unless he had to attend a doctor's appointment. Even in safe areas, he considers it dangerous."

In late August, police sought the public's assistance in identifying two young carjackers, one of whom they believed could be only 10 years old.

In July, a 28-year-old woman was arrested for allegedly shooting a 7-month-old in the leg due to a $100 drug debt, while screaming, "F--- your baby," on video.

At a block party in West Philadelphia, a shooting resulted in the deaths of three men and the injuries of six people.

Despite publicly supporting bail funds that help get criminal suspects out of jail, Harris continues to paint herself as a former "cop" on the campaign trail, referencing her prior positions as a prosecutor.

In 2020, she raised funds from her supporters to bail out Black Lives Matter protesters who were arrested during protests against police brutality in Minnesota after George Floyd's death.

George Howard, accused of domestic violence, was released on bail and later allegedly shot and killed another man in a road rage fight. Shawn Michael Tillman also received bail a year later with assistance from the fund. He then allegedly found a rival at a train station and shot him six times.

Multiple requests for comment on the bail fund recipients have not been responded to by Harris' office.