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Urging the Pennsylvania State Legislature to pass House Bill 2060 which provides further protections to victims of domestic violence.
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WHEREAS, According to Women Against Abuse, domestic violence is defined as “a pattern of assaultive and coercive behaviors, including physical, sexual and psychological attacks, as well as economic coercion, that adults or adolescents use to gain power and control over their intimate partners”. Eighty-five percent of domestic violence victims are women; and
WHEREAS, Studies show that domestic violence affects every segment of our society. According to the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, more than 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men in the United States have experienced rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime. The report also indicates that 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men have experienced severe physical violence by an intimate partner at some point in their lives; and
WHEREAS, Domestic violence is of particular concern to women and families. The American College of Emergency Physicians has found that two to four million women are physically abused each year in the United States. Nearly two thousand women die of the injuries they suffer through domestic violence. The United States Conference of Mayors’ survey indicates that domestic violence is one of the top three causes of homelessness among families in each of the 23 cities surveyed, including Philadelphia; and
WHEREAS, The danger posed by domestic violence is magnified when a deadly weapon is involved. 72 percent of all murder-suicides have involved an intimate partner and 94 percent of the victims of these crimes were female. When a gun is present in a domestic violence situation, the risk of homicide is at least 500% higher; and
WHEREAS, The citizens of the City of Philadelphia were reminded of the dangers of domestic violence after learning about the horrific death of Linda J. Rios. Linda was a devoted mother of twin girls, a cherished family member, a respected community member, and a beloved colleague of the Councilmembers and staff of Philadelphia’s City Council. Her tragic death is but another reminder that more has to be done; and
WHEREAS, Pennsylvania House Bill 2060 seeks to improve the safety of victims of domestic violence, law enforcement, and the community as a whole by strengthening the Protection from Abuse Act. The legislation limits access to weapons for convicted abusers who have demonstrated a propensity for violence; and
WHEREAS, House Bill 2060 would shorten the amount of time a person convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence has to turn their gun over for safekeeping, from 60 days to 24 hours. The bill would also require offenders to turn their gun over to law enforcement for safe keeping rather than friends or family; and
WHEREAS, House Bill 2060 also allows plaintiffs to be accompanied by a sheriff or law enforcement in order to retrieve belongings from their residence before or during the serving of a protection from abuse (PFA) order. The legislation allows plaintiffs to extend a PFA against an incarcerated defendant who has or will be released from custody within 90 days; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That we hereby urge the Pennsylvania State Legislature to Pass House Bill 2060 which provides further protections to victims of domestic violence.
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