Authorizing the Philadelphia City Council Special Committee on Gun Violence Prevention to conduct public hearings to explore the role of the Philadelphia Roadmap for Safer Communities Tactical Team as part of the City's comprehensive response to unprecedented gun violence.

WHEREAS, Gun violence has plagued the City of Philadelphia for decades. Between 2007 and 2021, more than 1,000 shootings occurred annually. Between 2015 and 2021, occurrences of fatal shootings rose by more than 200%, from 233 fatal shootings in 2015 to 486 in 2021; and

WHEREAS, Fatal shootings accounted for 86% of all homicides in 2021, the deadliest year on record with 562 homicides; and

WHEREAS, In 2021, more than 80% of all shootings occurred in only 10 of the City’s 48 zip codes, accounting for more than 70% of fatal shootings this past year; and

WHEREAS, The gun violence epidemic has had a disproportionate impact on Black and Brown communities in Philadelphia. In 2021, Black and Hispanic Philadelphians accounted for 95% of all shooting victims, and of 91% of all fatal shooting victims; and

WHEREAS, In 2021, $68 million in new funding was allocated to the FY22 budget for gun violence prevention and anti-violence strategies; and

WHEREAS, There have been 73 homicides in 2022; and

WHEREAS, The Philadelphia Roadmap for Safer Communities Tactical Team (the “Tactical Team”) meets weekly with stated goals of providing important context for the gun violence in specific police pinpoint areas to the City’s environmental and social services providers, developing a standardized definition of areas where crime and violence are most prevalent (a “hot spot”) and using police and community data to coordinate and target city services and other supports; and

WHEREAS, The Tactical Team is comprised of representatives from the Managing Director’s Office, the Philadelphia Police Department (the “PPD”), the Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disABILITY Services, the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, the Department of Commerce, the Department of Human Services, the Department of Licenses & Inspections, the Department of Streets, the School District of Philadelphia, Parks and Recreation, Town Watch Integrated Services, The Office of Community Empowerment and Opportunity and other City departments; and

WHEREAS, The Executive Implementation Team oversees the efforts of the Tactical Team, and is comprised of the Mayor, the Managing Director, the District Attorney of Philadelphia, the Commissioner of the PPD and other high ranking local government officials; and

WHEREAS, In order to have the most collaborative and effective response to combatting gun violence, citizens and the Council of the City of Philadelphia, must be aware of the steps the Tactical Team and its members are taking to address the unprecedented increase in gun violence in the City; and

WHEREAS, In 2017, the Council of the City of Philadelphia established the Special Committee on Gun Violence Prevention to encourage collaboration among stakeholders, formulate a comprehensive plan to combat gun violence, examine the efficacy of current programs and policies created to combat gun violence in the City of Philadelphia, and develop metrics to measure progress toward strategic goals; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, THAT THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, Does hereby authorize the Philadelphia City Council Special Committee on Gun Violence Prevention to conduct public hearings to examine the role of the Tactical team as part of the City of Philadelphia’s response to unprecedented gun violence.

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