THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA HEREBY ORDAINS:
SECTION 1.
Legislative Findings of Fact and Declaration of Policy.
The Council of the City of Philadelphia hereby finds:
That violence in the City’s public schools has grown to alarming levels. According to statistics supplied by the School District of Philadelphia, during the 1998-1999 School year, there were almost 80 incidents involving box cutters were seized from students during this period.
That during the 1999-2000 school year, a similar number of incidents involving box cutters;
That the proliferation among school children of box cutters and similar utility knives containing razor blades poses a serious threat to the health, safety and welfare of the City’s school children, teachers, and other persons who work within the school system;
That for this reason, the Council of the City of Philadelphia deems it appropriate to prohibit the sale of such implements and replacement blades and razors to minors under the age of eighteen, and to require the sellers of such tools to display them in a manner that will minimize the opportunities for minors to steal them.
SECTION 2.
Section 10-828 of The Philadelphia Code is hereby added to read as follows:
TITLE 10. REGULATION OF INDIVIDUAL CONDUCT AND ACTIVITY.
Section §10-828.
Prohibition on Sale of Box Cutters and Similar Utility Knives to Persons Under the Age of Eighteen.
It shall be unlawful for any person to sell, or offer for sale, any box cutter or utility knife, razor or blade designed to be used in conjunction with a box cutter or utility knife, to any person under eighteen (18) years of age. For the purpose of this section the terms “box cutter” and “utility knife” shall mean any tool or implement sold for the primary purpose of cutting, which contains a knife, razor or blade which is either fixed in position or retracts upon moving a release mechanism.
No person who sells or offers for sale box cutters or utility knives shall place such box cutters or utility knives on open display so that such implements are accessible to the public without the assistance of the person offering such implement for sale, or his or her employee.
The penalty for any person who violates the provisions of this section is a fine of not more than three hundred dollars ($300).
SECTION 3.
This Ordinance shall take effect thirty (30) days following its enactment.
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Explanation:
Italics
indicate new matter added.
End