Broad Street Brief: Parker’s Plan on Crime, Public Safety; Three CPOC Commissioners Resign in Protest; Norristown Plans “Sweep” of Homeless Encampments
June 1, 2023
June 1, 2023
Philadelphia City Council holds several public hearings throughout the legislative calendar. You can watch the hearings here.
Crime and public safety were top concerns for voters throughout the primary race, and will no doubt play a role during the general election in November. Democratic mayoral nominee Cherelle Parker was notable among her competitors for her strong support of law enforcement, as well as her advocacy of so-called “constitutional stop and frisk.” She is also a proponent of requiring additional training and implementation of accountability measures for law enforcement and community policing to address crime and gun violence. Public safety on public transit is of particular interest — there have been several recent incidents of gun violence on train platforms and buses — and many see Parker’s state-level experience as a boon for the city’s relationship with SEPTA.
Three members of the newly created Citizens Police Oversight Commission (CPOC) have resigned in protest, with one now former vice chair citing “toxic dysfunction” of the board. The CPOC was created by a ballot question in November 2020 in the wake of racial justice protests that swept the nation. A more recent ballot question that was intended to address some of the body’s concerns failed to pass.
According to a new report from Redfin, Philadelphia is one of only four U.S. metropolitan areas where it is less expensive to buy a house than to rent. Housing experts attribute this to relatively stagnant home values, as well as Philadelphia’s status as the nation’s poorest large city.
Officials in Norristown are reportedly planning a “sweep” of about 20 homeless encampments across the municipality, which would impact approximately 160 people who currently live in tents in public areas. A PECO spokesperson has stated that the focus of the sweep would be on utility-owned land along the Schuylkill River Trail.
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