WHEREAS,
Gun violence poses a serious and ongoing threat to public safety and welfare, both nationally and in Philadelphia; and
WHEREAS, The Philadelphia Police Department reports that a person is shot every six hours, on average, in Philadelphia.
In 2016, Philadelphia had 1,280 shooting victims and 1,591 shooting incidents. Moreover, 83 percent of homicide victims over the last 10 years were killed with a firearm, a total of 2,629 gun deaths; and
WHEREAS, A recent report from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms found that agents recovered 3,187 illegal guns in Philadelphia and that a major contributor to the City’s gun violence is the proliferation of illegal guns; and
WHEREAS, Gun violence causes a broad range of devastating collateral consequences for shooting survivors, their families, friends, and communities. Those consequences include post-traumatic stress, permanent physical disability, and death, along with lost wages and unemployment, medical costs, foreclosures and homelessness, and community destabilization; and
WHEREAS, The cost of each hospitalization resulting from gun violence results in nearly a half million dollars in direct costs. The cost of each murder is nearly six million dollars in negative economic impact; and
WHEREAS, It is necessary for this Council and the citizens of Philadelphia to focus attention on the issue of gun violence and how it directly affects our community. Indeed, experience indicates that intensive and sustained community-wide commitment to gun-violence prevention is necessary to make progress in this area; and
WHEREAS, All Philadelphians deserve to live their lives free of gun violence and the fear thereof. Moreover, the well-being of the City’s youth and their families is of paramount importance to Philadelphia’s future prosperity. Safety is a foundational requirement of that well-being; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That it hereby designates June 2, 2017 as “Gun Violence Awareness Day” in Philadelphia.
End