After Another Violent Night, Philadelphia Leaders Outline New Plan To Combat Gun Violence That's 'More Pressing Than Ever'
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A violent summer night in Philadelphia sees seven people shot in just a few hours. Now, city leaders are outlining a new plan to combat gun violence.
Police are hoping new policies they've already started to implement will provide a road map to reduce crime.
"Finding solutions to gun violence in our neighborhoods becomes more pressing than ever," Councilmember Jamie Gauthier said.
Gun violence incidents in Philadelphia are exploding, up 57% from one year ago, according to police records. Homicides are up 20% by the same measure.
On Friday night into Saturday morning, seven people were shot in a three-hour time period in several different locations, leaving one person dead and two more in critical condition.
"We, specifically, in the Black community got to come together and work together," Stanley Crawford, a victim of gun violence, said. "Because it's our family members that's constantly going into the grave."
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The Crime Prevention and Violence Reduction Action Collaborative outlined Friday is a collaboration between police, community members and the District Attorney's Office.
"The record of this office now and the record moving forward will make it very clear. You can decarcerate for non-serious offenses, which improves society, it improves prevention, while you simultaneously save the necessary hammer of law enforcement for those who are killing and hurting other people," Krasner said. "We stand with victims of gun violence, we stand with law enforcement with their efforts to rein it in and we stand with community building and prevention, which are ultimately the surest of long-term solution."
Among the changes are a reconstruction of the police department's organizational structure and executives, the continuation of Operation Pinpoint, providing additional human and technological resources to the areas of most need.
It also will assign 12 assistant district attorneys to hyper-focus on crime within the city's six divisions.
"The work that these folks will be doing is at the core of the Crime Prevention and Violence Reduction Action Collaborative," Krasner said.
One of the other strategies will be shooting reviews involving law enforcement from the state, local and federal areas in hopes of clarifying necessary action.
For a list of gun violence resources in Philadelphia, click here.
