City Council introduces legislation for new safety director position
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Philadelphia City Council introduced legislation to create a new chief public safety director position. This six-figure salary position would oversee police, fire, prisons and other safety-related departments.
This push for a new position comes after 516 people were killed in the city in 2022, 217 of them children.
Some families who have lost someone to gun violence are begging for a change.
Last September, 23-year-old Avada George from North Philadelphia was taken from his family too soon.
"He got killed a couple days before his birthday," Kierra Nelson, the victim's sister, said. "And it's been hard on my mom my sister and us."
George's murder is one out of many in an almost record year.
Cities like Chicago, Newark, and Columbus all have public safety directors. At City Hall Thursday, councilmembers said Philadelphia needs one too.
They say the most prominent reason would be for the new director to focus mainly on the daily gun violence crisis and solutions.
Councilmembers introduced legislation to create a new job called chief public safety director, a high-level position with a $265,000 salary with the goal of improving the city's response to gun violence.
"Can't keep doing the same old thing. It's just not working," Philadelphia Council President Darrell Clarke said.
He acknowledges that 2022 was a violent year in Philadelphia. It's the second time Philadelphia saw more than 500 homicides. Carjackings and other violent crime are also up since the pandemic.
Clarke says the new director position will have a collaborative approach leading to more safety.
"There should be a person, if we're serious about stopping gun violence and having violence prevention in the city of Philadelphia, somebody needs to be in charge of that," Clarke said.
He says the position would add collaboration with Philadelphia police, prisons, recreation and other safety-oriented city departments.
"I think it's time for us to do something differently," Clarke said. "If you expect different outcomes you have to approach it in a different way."
Other councilmembers agree.
"We should be treating gun violence in our neighborhoods the way we treat COVID," Councilmember Jamie Gauthier said, "in the sense that we are mobilizing all of the resources we have, every single department, to send resources to the neighborhoods and the people that are in crisis."
Families like George's are hoping things will get better.
"We need that in this city because it's just too much. No more people need to die," Nelson said. "Just need to put the guns down, do better get a job. Do something."
