Authorizing Council's Committee on Global Opportunities and the Creative/Innovative Economy and the Committee on Public Safety to hold public hearings to explore global best practices regarding technology that improves public safety and services.

WHEREAS, New technology may make City operations more efficient, equitable, and responsive to community needs; and

WHEREAS, Technology can be a means of providing transparency and uniformity in delivering public services; and

WHEREAS, The United States Congress has authorized the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to approve the use of unmanned aircraft systems by public agencies for domestic purposes; and

WHEREAS, Drones have many potential uses in public safety and services, including inspections, search and rescue operations, monitoring major traffic accidents, delivering life-saving drugs in emergencies, providing escorts to lost pedestrians, and police and fire investigations. A drone can exceed human capacities in these functions, whether helping to find a missing child late at night, locating building inhabitants during a fire, or discouraging open-air drug dealing, prostitution or illegal dumping; and

WHEREAS, A

November 2016 Controller’s Office report, “Review of Pothole Repair and Response,” recommended that the City “consider using drone technology to determine problem roads and monitor repairs regularly.” This is seen as an efficient and effective potential solution to assist a department which has consistently fallen behind schedule in repairing potholes and paving streets

; and

WHEREAS, The Philadelphia Police Department reported 248 homicides, 9,064 burglaries, 1,051 shooting victims, and 15,912 violent crime offenses in Fiscal Year 2015. Technology may be able to help police expand their presence and scope of service; and

WHEREAS, As new technology is implemented, City Council should be part of the process of accountability and transparency with the public about how it is being used. As other new technology is introduced which has potential to deliver higher-quality services to more residents, Council has a responsibility to weigh opportunities to implement it throughout the City; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That it hereby authorizes Council’s Committee on Global Opportunities and the Creative/Innovative Economy and the Committee on Public Safety to hold public hearings to explore the possible implementation of new technology for public safety and services in the City of Philadelphia.

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