Philadelphia’s homicide rate is raising eyebrows — for all of the right reasons. Since the start of the year, 54 homicides have been recorded, a 39 percent drop from the same period a year ago. Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey credited Smart Policing strategies developed with the help of Temple criminologist Jerry Ratcliffe. Ratcliffe said his team has helped to train police officers to better analyze crime data and craft long-term solutions for violent hotspots. “I think a lot of district captains are learning to think more strategically,” he said. “If you really focus on crime hot spots, the causes are often different - sometimes subtly, sometimes hugely. You can’t have a one-size-fits-all approach.”