Authorizing Council's Committee on Public Safety to hold hearings to examine the coordinated plan of the Philadelphia Police Department, Philadelphia District Attorney, First Judicial District of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Sheriff's Office, and Philadelphia Office of Domestic Violence Strategies to implement recently enacted legislative changes to removal of firearms from abusers in domestic violence cases.

WHEREAS, In October of 2018, Governor Tom Wolf signed Act 79 of 2018, a law that strengthens the system for removal of firearms from domestic abusers who pose a risk of violence and terror to domestic violence victims, and provide additional safeguards to help protect these victims; and

WHEREAS, Victims are more than five times more likely to be killed by an abusive partner with access to a firearm; and

WHEREAS, Nearly half of all women killed by abusive partners had previous contact with the criminal justice system related to the abuse within the year prior to their murder; and

WHEREAS, The Council of the City of Philadelphia would like more detail to better understand the stakeholders’ comprehensive domestic violence plan for improving the process of firearm removal, increasing communication between systems, and increasing efficient case management in order to ensure proactive violence prevention for domestic violence victims and increase offender accountability; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That Council does hereby call upon the Philadelphia Police Department, Philadelphia District Attorney, First Judicial District of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Sheriff’s Office, and Philadelphia Office of Domestic Violence Strategies to report on their comprehensive domestic violence plan to implement Act 79 of 2018.

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