Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker signs bills adding speed cameras on Broad Street, gun safety measures into law
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker signed three bills related to public safety into law Tuesday afternoon.
The package of legislation includes the gun switch bill, which bans gun attachments, including switches, that can convert an ordinary handgun into a fully automatic machine gun. The law also bans bump stocks in the city. Bump stocks enable semi-automatic weapons to shoot at a very rapid pace.
The second law requires eviction officers to undergo firearms training and other preparation.
Finally, the third bill Parker signed allows the installation of speed cameras along Broad Street in the city. This move expands on a similar law that brought speed cameras to Roosevelt Boulevard in Northeast Philadelphia.
"We are going to take the same successes and lessons that we've learned from installing the Roosevelt Boulevard speed cameras and apply them to Broad Street," Parker said.
Parker said the city will continue to work to pass legislation for more speed cameras. She also noted that crime is down in Philadelphia.
The new legislation comes as Parker has made improving public safety a key pillar of her administration. In April, she signed bills into law banning casino-style games in stores, setting a curfew for some businesses in Kensington and cracking down on license plate flipping devices.
The Philadelphia Police Department has also added a specialized unit called the Elite Highway Patrol Unit and promised to crack down on illegal ATV and dirt bike riders as part of the focus on public safety.