Title
Authorizing the Committee on Children and Youth to hold hearings on the impact of sonic devices on young people on public property.
Body
WHEREAS, The City of Philadelphia manages public recreation centers and parks for residents, particularly young people, to build community and participate in recreational and social opportunities - the enjoyment of which is essential to youth development, and has been shown to reduce violence and promote well-being; and
WHEREAS, It is a core principle, articulated by the National Recreation and Park Association, that our public spaces should be equally accessible and available to all people regardless of income level, ethnicity, gender, ability, or age; and
WHEREAS, In 2012, the Department of Parks and Recreation began installing sonic devices commonly marketed as "Mosquitos" in public parks and recreational centers in an effort to prevent vandalism. These devices emit high-frequency sounds between the hours of 10:00pm and 6:00am, which are audible to young people as well as some adults both at the sites and potentially on adjacent streets and sidewalks. To date, at least thirty-three sonic devices have been installed in approximately thirty-three parks and recreation centers; and
WHEREAS, The primary manufacturer of the "Mosquito" is a Vancouver-based company that told media outlets that its product is intended for private property, which public parks and recreation centers are not, and is targeted directly at youth between the ages of 13 and 25; and
WHEREAS, The company justifies its intentional targeting by purporting: "Youth commit more criminal code offences, such as assaults, robbery and homicides, than adults... Many crimes go unreported every year, and they often result from youth gang activity and loitering." Such comments come out of deeply offensive stereotypes and inaccurate biases against youth that have been debunked by psychologists and criminologists; and
WHEREAS, Health regulators warn that lengthy expos...
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