Title
Authorizing the City Council Committee on Public Safety and the Special Committee on Gun Violence Prevention to hold hearings to review and examine the perpetrators of the last 100 shootings in Philadelphia, as well exploring the source of the guns used to commit violent crimes and the role of the criminal justice system in the offender's life.
Body
WHEREAS, From the period of January 1, 2020 to present, there have been over 1,100 acts of gun violence in Philadelphia, with more than 301 gun-related homicides. To date, homicides in the City of Philadelphia are up 34% when compared year-to-date with 2019, and over 100 children have been victims of gun violence. In August 2020, 275 Philadelphians were victim of gun violence, the highest monthly total since 2007. In the past week alone, there have been 50 Philadelphians falling victim to gun violence; and
WHEREAS, Homicides in the City have been steadily rising over the past few years, with 2019 seeing 356 homicides compared to 246 in 2013. Gun violence is the main source of these homicides. The City has experienced a 24% increase in gun usage rates in homicides in 2020 when compared to 2019. During these same periods of time, overall crime rates in the City have fallen; and
WHEREAS, The need to investigate the source of guns that are used to carry out the slaying of Philadelphians, and also what role the criminal justice system has played in the shooters past, has never been more pressing. A study published by Jerry Ratcliffe from Temple University and George Kikuchi from the Delaware Valley Intelligence Center (DVIC), shows that just 1.5% of all known criminals are responsible for 80 percent of all detected gun crimes in Philadelphia. Also, as for the sheer number of guns in our City, in 2019 alone, the ATF recovered 4,462 guns used in Philadelphia crimes; and
WHEREAS, This past Labor Day weekend, Philadelphia was struck by another wave of gun violence, where a barrage of bullets rang through Southwest...
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