Title
Authorizing the Special Committee on Gun Violence Prevention to conduct hearings to examine the City’s response to the ongoing crisis of gun violence in Philadelphia.
Body
WHEREAS, On June 4, 2022, multiple shooters used five different guns to fire repeatedly on a crowd of people out enjoying South Street’s nightlife attractions. Three lives were lost, with 11 other wounded. This massacre was the ninth mass shooting of 2022, according to the Gun Violence Archive; and
WHEREAS, Mass shootings are generally defined as incidents involving firearm injury to four or more people around the same time and location; and
WHEREAS, Philadelphia has not only seen nine mass shootings this year. It also suffers from an ongoing, everyday massacre in its streets. Five people a day are shot citywide on an average day; and
WHEREAS, Gun violence and mass shootings are continuing to terrorize Philadelphians and show no sign of stopping. In the last 10 days alone, 94 people have been shot in Philadelphia, with 31 people shot between 6 a.m. on Friday, June 3rd and 6 a.m. on Sunday, June 5th; and
WHEREAS, Philadelphia, like all Pennsylvania cities, is severely restricted in its ability to regulate firearms locally due to Pennsylvania's firearm pre-emption statute. Nevertheless, Philadelphia has sought judicial approval to enact reasonable local laws in recognition of its unique size and density, which give rise to unique challenges as to firearm violence. The City is currently seeking review of the scope of the state firearm preemption statute in two different cases; and
WHEREAS, Leaving aside firearm regulation, Philadelphia has invested heavily in programmatic solutions, including: group violence intervention, street outreach by violence interrupters, community violence prevention grants, establishment of the Offices of Violence Prevention and the Victim Advocate, and convening of a citywide network of hospital-based violence intervention programs; and
WHEREAS, After a historic investment in violence prevention this year, the Mayor and Council have indicated their intention to further increase violence prevention spending to at least $184 million, a City record; and
WHEREAS, Notwithstanding these efforts, more is needed to combat the unprecedented tide of gun violence. Accordingly, there is an urgent need to examine existing efforts and consider further available action; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, THAT THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, Authorizes the Special Committee on Gun Violence Prevention to conduct hearings to examine the ongoing crisis of gun violence in Philadelphia.
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