Acknowledging and honoring the Philadelphia Anti-Drug/Anti-Violence Network (P.A.A.N.) for their ongoing work and commitment to promote community safety through services that reduce drug abuse and violence as well as to help at-risk youth develop positive alternatives that will return them to the mainstream of society.

WHEREAS, From 1993 to 2002, the Philadelphia Anti-Drug/Anti-Violence Network (P.A.A.N.) operated the City's Join-the-Resistance Hotline, in which it responded to more than 100,000 callers who received referrals, reported violence or drug activity and/or requested prevention or community organizing services; and

WHEREAS, P.A.A.N. also operated Crisis Intervention Teams, from 1993 to 2003, that were on call at all hours to respond to crises City-wide and intervened and quelled more than 10,000 violent incidents; and

WHEREAS, P.A.A.N. serves as one of the School District of Philadelphia's primary resources for crisis intervention and conflict resolution for those schools prone to violence. Through monitoring and direct interventions with perpetrators and victims, P.A.A.N. assists schools to reduce and investigate incidents of violence and assure that these incidents do not occur in the community; and

WHEREAS, P.A.A.N., in conjunction with the Philadelphia Police and Fire Departments, sponsored multiple Turn in Weapons Initiatives that resulted in over 6,000 handguns and rifles being retrieved; and

WHEREAS, P.A.A.N. currently has several active contracts with the Philadelphia Departments of Human Services Division of Community-Based Prevention Services, including a community truancy prevention effort (PATCH) in which case managers intercede with youth with truancy records; now therefore be it,

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That it hereby acknowledges and honors the Philadelphia Anti-Drug/Anti-Violence Network (P.A.A.N.) for their ongoing work and commitment to promote community safety through services that reduce drug abuse and violence as well as to help at-risk youth develop positive alternatives that will return them to the mainstream of society.

FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy be presented to P.A.A.N as evidence of the sincere sentiments of this legislative body.

End