Title
Authorizing the Special Committee on Gun Violence Prevention to conduct a hearing to develop a comprehensive approach to supporting youth who are at risk of being involved in or are currently involved in gun violence.
Body
WHEREAS, The combined crises of the COVID-19 pandemic, gun violence, and housing instability have traumatized young Philadelphians, resulting in increased harm to self and others. In 2021, the US Surgeon General issued an advisory about the mental health crisis among youth, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; and
WHEREAS, This mental health crisis contributed to a spike in gun violence among youth. The number of shooting victims under the age of 18 has been steadily growing since 2015. In 2015, 81 juvenile victims comprised 6.3% of all shooting victims. In 2021, 213 youth were shot, comprising 9.6% of total victims. Percent of youth arrested for gun violence has also grown from 5% of all arrestees (5 total) in 2017 to 17% (24 total) in 2022. While many factors may contribute to an increase in arrests among youth, these data points point to an alarming trend that the City must address; and
WHEREAS, Philadelphia has suffered many high-profile events where the perpetrators or the victims were under the age of 18. These tragic events include the killing of Tiffany Fletcher at the Mill Creek Recreation Center; the shooting of five teenage students at Roxborough High School; the Shephard Recreation Center shooting and the most recent shooting at Overbrook High School; and
WHEREAS, Being a victim of a gun crime or witnessing community violence is a significant contributing factor to a young person feeling unsafe and choosing to protect themselves with a gun; and
WHEREAS, Community members frequently express frustration about not knowing where to go for support or how to connect to services when their children need help. When services can be identified, they are too often not delivered in time to save their children. Philadelphia's chi...
Click here for full text