City Council President Urges Action Following Oh Stabbing
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The attack on Councilman Oh has prompted a call for action from Council President Darrell Clarke. He promises that city council will devise measures to address the city's violent crime problem.
It was business, not quite as usual, in Councilman Oh's office as staff, like Matt Persche, rescheduled meetings and went about the day short of sleep but with great relief.
"Throughout the day it's just been good report after good report, so we're encouraged by that. We hope he'll come back to work soon and be with us," Persche said.
Council members were clearly rattled by the attack, but Council President Darrell Clarke was looking for the silver lining.
"Things like this happen and you try to look for a positive outcome, and hopefully that will be our ability to move forward with a real agenda, a comprehensive agenda, an agenda that has the level of passion that we need to have, all of us, to deal with this issue," he said.
Clarke says he thinks the city was becoming inured to violent crime.
"Sometimes it takes a high profile incident to get people to focus. I hope we don't let this level of concern wane over the days when you see the councilman sitting in there voting on legislation and people say, 'well, he's okay,'" said Clarke.
Clarke promised legislation at next week's session to address the city's crime problem more aggressively.
