Committee Hearing, February 13, 2006

COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA JOINT COMMITTEES ON PUBLIC SAFETY AND PUBLIC HEALTH and HUMAN SERVICES - - - Monday, February 13, 2006 10:30 a.m. - - - Room 400, City Hall Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - - - BILL NO. 051155 - Authorizing Public Safety and Public Health and Human Services to hold hearings regarding "Blueprint For A Safer Philadelphia" BILL NO. 051182 - Authorizing Public Safety to hold hearings regarding measures being employed to reduce and prevent violence. - - - PRESENT: MARIAN B. TASCO, Chair DONNA REED MILLER, Vice-Chair JUAN F. RAMOS JANNIE L. BLACKWELL MICHAEL A. NUTTER - - - V A R A L L O Incorporated Litigation Support Services 1835 Market Street, Suite 600 Philadelphia, PA 19103 (215) 561-2220 I N D E X BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 State Representative Dwight Evans--------- Lynne M. Abraham, District Attorney------- 16 Garvester Kelley, Jr., Senior Project Manager, Public Private Ventures-------- 29 Alicia Jackson, MEE Productions----------- 35 Dr. Deborah Prothrow-Stith, Harvard University------------------------------ 39 Sylvester M. Johnson, Police Commissioner- 76 Denise Clayton, Advanced Youth and Youth Violence Reduction Programs------------- 80 Catherine McVey, PA Board of Probation and Parole------------------------------ 90 Mark Dorsey, Chief of Police, University of Pennsylvania------------------------- 103 Karem Lewis, Director, Community and Government Affairs, PAAN---------------- 106 Dr. Calvin B. Johnson, PA Department of Health---------------------------------- 112 Dr. Arthur C. Evans, Director, Department of Behavioral Health and Mental Retardation Services-------------------- 130 Dr. Lawrence Robinson, Deputy Health Commissioner---------------------------- 138 Sherri Ryan, Outreach Coordinator, Mothers In Charge----------------------- 145 Mark Harrell, Director, Men United For a Better Philadelphia--------------------- 147 Malik Aziz, Men United For a Better Philadelphia---------------------------- 151 Sibil Damas, Congreso de Latinos Unidos--- 163 Cheryl Mulrain, Vice-President, Happy Hollow Playground Advisory Council------ 168 Officer Bryan Coyle, Advisor, Philadelphia Police Explorers------------------------ 170 Bonita Cummings, Strawberry Mansion Community Concern----------------------- 175 - - - 3 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06

Good morning. I would like to call the Committee on Public Health and Public Safety to order. At this point we have Councilwoman Donna Reed Miller, who is Chair of the Public Safety Committee. We will be joined by other members of the two committees for this hearing this morning. We are hampered by the snow, I'm sure. I have some opening remarks and Councilwoman Donna Reed Miller will present some opening remarks. First let us have the clerk read the resolution.

Resolution No. 051155, authorizing the Council Committees on Public Safety and Public Health and Human Services to hold hearings regarding the findings and recommendations of the Blueprint For A Safer Philadelphia; and further authorizing the committees to seek advice and recommendations on how Philadelphia can reduce and eliminate crime affecting the city's youth. Resolution No. 051182, authorizing 4 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 City Council's Committee on Public Safety to hold hearings to identify and record what comprehensive holistic measures are being employed to reduce and prevent violence, particularly gun-related violence, which include, in addition to anti-gun violence legislation, various educational, mental health, social, economic, cultural programs and strategies.

Thank you very much. We are joined by Councilman Juan Ramos. DeLores, Coretta, Rosa, these recently departed heroes spent many years fighting for civil rights. Today we are gathered to fight for a different right, the right to live; the right to live without violence, the right to live in a safer Philadelphia. Through today's hearing, we will have an opportunity to discuss the strategic initiative to end violence in our city, the Blueprint For A Safer Philadelphia. This ten-year, ten-point initiative provides us an opportunity to address violence 5 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 in our city in both a comprehensive and systemic way. I would like to thank State Representative Dwight Evans, District Attorney Lynne Abraham and all of the stakeholders who participated in the blueprint. I would also like to thank Councilwoman Donna Reed Miller, Chair of the Public Safety Committee, for joining me in this hearing. Finally, I would like to thank all of you who are gathered here today in spite of yesterday's winter storm. It is only through your commitment and through that of others who are devoted to this cause whereby we can reduce violence in our city. Through our collective efforts, we can stop another 380 murders from occurring in our city and provide the opportunity for the next C. DeLores Tucker, Coretta Scott King, or Rosa Parks to live and thrive in a safer Philadelphia. Again, thank you all for coming. Councilwoman Miller. 6 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06

Thank you. Good morning. And I too would like to thank everyone for coming here today. The chief problem in any community cursed with crime is not the punishment of criminals; it is the preventing of the young from being drawn to and trained in criminal behavior. WEB DuBois from his book The Souls Of Black Folks, 1903. Just like everyone else truly concerned with this critical issue, I have been reflecting on the recent rash of violence in our city that has literally been astounding and overwhelming us during the past year. Violence in general is a symptom of many societal problems. In violence, perpetrators for whatever reasons forget and lose it, lose what it means to be a human. As a civilized and healthy society, we have to take stock in how we are going to approach this plight of a problem. I am not going to speak of the statistics. We all are pretty much aware that the statistics are staggering. The numbers 7 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 associated with homicides, assaults, attempts to do harm, gun-related violence, guns on the streets leaves us breathless. I want to address the primary factors which are part of my motivation for drafting Resolution No. 051182. A large assortment of citizens, educators, activists, community, law enforcement, political leaders are truly motivated to be involved with this issue. They have convened meetings, forums, commissions, coalitions, summits and seminars, et cetera, to develop plans, programs, and strategies to turn back the stem of violence, the tides of violence in our community, to identify and have real impact on the many factors that have contributed to our current situation. As Resolution 051182 states, Council must address public policy and budgetary decisions to determine how best to deliver support and direct resources to these programs and strategies. Additionally, we recognize and 8 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 understand the need to increase communication, coordination, and cooperation between every stakeholder involved in developing initiatives to solve this very vast problem, to promote more public awareness. We believe these hearings can provide a forum and an opportunity to advance both causes. We have to foster coordination and cooperation between the branches of government and all activists, institutions, and organizations throughout the entire city. As elected public servants, I see this as our greatest challenge, particularly when it comes to collaboration and mutual support amongst all of us to do everything that is within our power to cure this ungodly ill. Again, on behalf of the parents, on behalf of the young people, on behalf of the entire city I want to thank everyone that's participating in this hearing this morning for your attention and interest of this serious issue. Thank you. 9 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06

Thank you, Councilwoman Miller. Any remarks from Councilman Ramos?

I just want to support every word uttered by Councilwoman Tasco and Councilwoman Donna Reed Miller. This is such a very important issue. And I have had the opportunity, in the last couple of weeks in particular, to travel throughout the City of Philadelphia. I saw State Representative Dwight Evans there on Saturday in West Philadelphia. I think he was out of his turf for a little bit, but goes to show how much he cares about the people of Philadelphia and this issue of violence and crime that's plaguing our city. And, without a doubt, in all these meetings people are coming out of their homes letting us know that something needs to be done. So I thank you for holding these hearings, Madam Chairperson, Donna Reed Miller and Marian Tasco.

Thank you very 10 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 much. We would just like to say, this is the beginning of a series of public discussions around the Blueprint. We thought we would begin here in City Council, and then move to the neighborhoods so that we will have input from citizens from around this city to have a sense of what the Blueprint is all about, how it came to be, and to elicit their support for making the Blueprint a success. This morning we are going to have panels. Our first panel I see we have with us our State Representative Dwight Evans; District Attorney Lynne Abraham; Gar Kelley, Public Private Ventures; and Alicia Jackson from ME Productions. Who is going first? Mr. Evans, Representative Evans. STATE REPRESENTATIVE DWIGHT EVANS: Thank you, Madam Chairperson. I would like to first publicly thank both of you for convening this discussion, Councilwoman Marian Tasco and Councilwoman 11 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 Donna Reed Miller. Because of your leadership, I think this is a discussion that is long overdue. And I would like to thank the members of the panel, also, who are here today. As you just indicated with this panel, I have sort of -- not to use this phrase -- kind of like a partner in crime, the District Attorney. And this answer, this started, the District Attorney, with a number of other law enforcement people, we met on April the 21st, 2004, when the historical gathering of the state legislature leaders, top law enforcement officials from the federal, state, and local level, and community leaders came together to discuss strategies to discuss the violence that had taken the lives of too many city youth. The result was the Blueprint For A Safer Philadelphia, which details several initiatives designed to immediately impact and reduce the level of gun violence in Philadelphia. 12 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 Over the past two years I, working along with members in the Philadelphia delegation, Democrats and Republicans alike, we have provided over $16 million to support the initiative; from the Speaker of the House, to Dennis O'Brien, to Senator Fumo, to Senator Williams, all of us working together. And $16 million has been provided in the last year or two. We have funded dozens of community groups who are in the trenches every day fighting the growing tides of violence. We have held focus groups and community meetings throughout the city to hear what our citizens are dealing with every day and getting their thoughts on how we can make our community safer. We have laid the groundwork to launch one of the most comprehensive social marketing campaigns we have undertaken with one simple goal, to change the mindset and change the behavior. First, we believe that violence is a learned behavior. And if you can learn 13 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 violence, then you can unlearn violence. Secondly, we believe that it is our obligation to do everything within our power to prevent this violent behavior from destroying our community. Our goal is simple, as is essential. We seek to eradicate youth homicides in Philadelphia by the Year 2016. But we cannot move forward as a community, as a city, and as a region without combatting the growing tide of violence in our streets. To both Council people that's Chairpersons, in the New York Times just yesterday, there is a story about violence crime rising to a sharp in some cities. I want you to understand that this is a national problem, it is not just unique to Philadelphia. As a matter of fact, Commissioner Johnson, who you will hear from, my understanding, on the next panel, is quoted in that article. Cities like Milwaukee, Houston, St. Louis, Charlotte also face this very same issue. 14 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 What do I think is different about our approach? Well, one of the things I think that's different about our particular approach this time around is, we hired a consultant out of Harvard by the name of Dr.

Deborah Stith, who will be here later, who will kind of give you some sense of the mindset approach that we attempted to move in this particular issue. That, basically, we wanted to focus on what you call primary, secondary, and tertiary, and we wanted to have a different approach. After the District Attorney speaks, you will hear Gar Kelley from the Public Private Venture organization, where basically the majority of those funds have gone to that organization. And then you will hear Alicia Jackson, who will talk about something different in terms of the social marketing approach. I stress to the Council members -- and I have said this consistently over and over again -- that this particular initiative 15 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 is not to exclude anyone else. The Mayor has Operation Safe Streets. We believe that we can work in conjunction with Operation Safe Streets. We don't think it is one versus the other, and I want to be very clear about it. I have said that to everyone. A. by themselves cannot address this issue. You will see an awful lot of groups that are here that we believe can be a part of this movement. We just believe what we need to do is start something that is sustainable over a long period of time. When we talk about "sustainable," we talk about a ten-year period. One example I would like to give you. In 1999, the city's rate of homicides was 299. 299 in 1999. As of last year, it was 380. One of the things that I think that we have been missing is the aspect of looking at the trends and sustainability. In all of the readings and things you look at, the question is addressing the 16 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 trends, and the question is having collective leadership. And that's what I believe the Blueprint For A Safer Philadelphia brings together. It basically brings the criminal justice aspect and the public health aspect. That, in my view, is something new. We have an epidemic here. And this is something that requires a mobilization like we have never done before in the history of this city. And it will take City Council, it will take Harrisburg, it will take the federal government, but it also will take the community. The community is equally as important as the law enforcement side of this particular scenario. So what I would like to do now is turn it over to the District Attorney, who also was a partner with us on that meeting that we had on April 21. Lynne. DISTRICT ATTORNEY LYNNE M. ABRAHAM: Thank you, Representative Evans. Members of 17 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 my panel and members of City Council, I am thrilled to be here with Representative Evans, with whom we have been working closely for the past two years plus, and even before that on criminal justice issues. I echo the statements in the introduction that Representative Evans gave. And I want to give you ladies and gentlemen a little bit of history that helps to expand on the notion that it is totally appropriate that these committees hear these issues and explore ways in which we can combat some interpersonal violence, since interpersonal violence and the consequences of it are one of the greatest public health issues facing this city. In addition to the meetings that Representative Evans and I have had, part of the Blueprint about which I will speak at length in a few moments, part of the Blueprint calls for expanding the Youth Violence Reduction Partnership. This interesting collaborative came into being as a result of a meeting we had in Boston with Reverend Eugene Rivers, a former 18 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 Philadelphian. And he has a very interesting story to tell about his life, which I won't burden the record with this morning. But having moved to Boston, becoming involved in youth violence in Boston, he started an interesting program called the 10-Point Program to combat youth violence in Boston.

As a result of some of the initial successes that he had, along with his collaborative partners, then Deputy Police Commissioner, First Deputy Police Commissioner Johnson, and others of my office and the courts traveled to Boston for a few days to see what it was they were doing in a particular neighborhood called "Rocksbury" in Massachusetts. This was an interesting gang initiative. And we decided that while Philadelphia isn't Boston, we thought much of what was beneficial was something that we could do using that as a model. And, so, what we did was, we came back to Philadelphia and crafted our own Youth 19 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 Violence Reduction Partnership. This included my office, the Philadelphia Police Department, adult and juvenile probation, the Anti-Drug Anti-Violence Network, Philadelphia Safe and Sound, and other city agencies. Youth Violence Reduction Partnership offered intensive support and intensive oversight and supervision to youngsters between the ages of to 24, the largest 12 group of people who are most likely victims of 13 interpersonal violence 14 Between 14 and 24 you'll see, if you look at our homicide charts, is the beginning of this huge gap between age and crime. The largest number of people involved in criminal conduct of killing and being killed are anywhere between 14 and 24. And we then took that model and looked for those people in the 24th, 25th and the 26th Districts whom we were capable of supervising. And, as a result of talking with school people, with pastors, with neighbors, 20 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 with youth groups, with the police, and others, we selected about 125 people, youngsters, with whom we thought we could make a real difference. And, as a result of our intercession in the 24th, 25th, and the 12th Districts, we began to see real results in those districts in the drop in interpersonal violence amongst that group. Indeed, Public Private Ventures wrote a booklet reviewing our efforts. And it is called "Alive At 25," about which I'm sure you'll hear later from Mr. Kelley. With state funds through the Blueprint, YVRP is now expanding into the 19th District. And we believe we will become active in the 22nd District this spring. YVRP funding has been primarily state grants through Representative Evans, Representative Perzel, Representative Fumo, and others, bipartisan, and some state grants. The city has recently committed to institutionalizing YVRP by creating a coordinator, about whom you will hear more 21 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 later and from whom, Denise Clayton of Philadelphia Safe and Sound. And she has many years of experience in juvenile violence and the Department of Human Services. However, in order to be truly successful, YVRP should be in every district in the City of Philadelphia that needs it, and the city should commit to stepping up to the plate and fully funding this program. The state and the federal government have done yeomen effort, as you heard Representative Evans say. $16 million has come forward; mostly from the state, some from the federal funding, but very little from the city. The city has got to step up to the plate and take ownership of this ten-point Blueprint and especially of YVRP. In addition to that, the full funding restored to the District Attorney's Office will help us combat crime. Because YVRP as a public health issue involves the arrest and prosecution and 22 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 removal of those violent elements from the street. Part of the Blueprint's other main features, about which I will speak briefly, are the gun court, which opened in January of last year and ensures that offenders who do not use firearms, but who merely carry firearms, are subjected to greater supervision pretrial, as well as post-trial. This is unusual because arrestees do not usually have to respond to anybody pretrial because of the presumption of innocence.

However, the supervision in our gun court is different in that the court can, as a condition of bail, require that the person, for example, give us any guns that that person has in the house not the subject of the arrest, attend anger management, and be generally reviewed for suitability for conditions of bail. In addition to that, the court can compel and does compel appropriate arrestees to come to the probation department as a 23 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 condition of continued bail to report to the probation department as the court sees fit, depending on that individual's needs and the court's concern about that person. And that is a way in which the probation department and the courts can keep track of this discrete people, this discrete group of people, who are arrested for carrying firearms illegally. In addition to that, there is enhanced supervision post-trial with discrete members of the probation and parole department working for the gun court. However, the gun court funding runs out this year in June. And if we are to make an impact, having heard almost 580 cases so far in the little more than a year and a half that this program has been up and running, this important court and this effort has to be refunded. This program is unique, and it needs heightened attention because firearms are the primary source of violence in this city. In addition to that, part of the 24 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 ten-point program, we have substantially increased drug penalties for drug dealers who carry firearms to facilitate drug dealing. The five-year mandatory guns and drugs prison sentence now mandated for anybody convicted of possessing a firearm while trafficking in drugs is an extremely important measure. And this was an important part of the Blueprint helped by Representative Evans, again, and Representative Williams, as well as others. In addition to that, in the preventive side, our school district is now phasing in the fourth element of the Blueprint, the juvenile criminal justice curriculum. Many people come up to me and tell me, is there any way they can get their record expunged; they need it for a job, they need it for the advancement of their career. They said that they didn't know when they were of a certain age that a conviction meant anything; only to find out that, with 25 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 checks done on everybody almost routinely now, with waivers of confidentiality being required of almost any important job candidate, prior arrests and convictions are coming up and dissuading employers from hiring people because of their criminal past. Now we have a juvenile justice system whose record carries over to the adult side as a result of an initiative of mine to do exactly that. Because it was my considered judgment that nobody who has a violent past as a juvenile should get a clean record when they turn the magical age of 18. So George Mosey, my Juvenile Deputy, wrote the curriculum for the school district, and the school district staff is going to implement this. It is going to be taught to all middle school students as part of a social studies program. It helps to educate children on the results of good behavior, as well as the life-long consequences of illegal behavior. We believe and the school district BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 believes, or the School Board believes, with Paul Vallis as our partner and his good staff, that this is an important thing, since most kids don't have the judgment to know how important proper behavior is as it relates to the criminal justice system. Finally, the Blueprint calls for implementation of zone courts, something that I have long espoused; that is, making our court system more like councilmanic districts, police districts, and others. This whole city is broken down into districts and divisions.

And we believe, I believe very strongly, that a zone court system, where all cases that occur in a particular geographic district are heard by discrete courts that are designed just to hear cases in that district, will have a multi-layered effect. Number one, it will help the judge understand the problems of a unique geographic area. Number two, it will allow the community to get to know how the court system 27 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 work and who the judge is. Number three, it will enhance accountability because the judge will have a known track record in a given community. There will be fewer continuances, since police officers won't have to be in 8 courtrooms for cases that arise in the same 9 police district. 10 All 8th, 1st, 2nd Police District 11 cases will be held in one courtroom. All 22nd 12 and 23rd District cases, for example, will be held in another courtroom. So there is a lot less backing and forthing and a lot fewer frustrations by civilians who have to go from courtroom to courtroom, always having a different judge, in a different courtroom, on a different date. So we believe that these things are all positive things. As a result of our collective efforts, seven of the ten points in this ten-year program have been implemented in the first two years of it. Zone courts has not yet been implemented. 28 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 The amendment to Title of the Criminal Code, creating additional mandatory sentences for violence committed with firearms, and the Armed Violent Career Criminal statutes have not yet taken effect. We have assurances that these bills will pass the House, but they face an uncertain future in the Senate. With regard to the zone court, we have met with the Supreme Court and the courts of Common Pleas. We have additional meetings to go to on that score. But at least seven of the ten programs in our ten-point plan have been implemented, which is a very, very good start for a long and difficult process. We didn't get here in two years, and we're not going to solve the problems in two years. And I thank the committee for having us here this morning.

Thank you very much. We do have Councilwoman Blackwell with us and Councilman Nutter, who are here in 29 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 their seats. GARVESTER KELLEY, JR.: Good morning. Thank you, Co-Chairpersons Tasco and Reed Miller, for taking your committees' time to examine this important issue. Thank you also Representative Evans for your vision and leadership in working to end violence in the City of Philadelphia.

Would you state your name, please.

I am Garvester Kelley, Senior Project Manager for Public Private Ventures. Headquartered in Philadelphia, Public Private Ventures, or P/PV, is a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to improve the effectiveness of social policies, programs, and community initiatives, especially as they affect youth and young adults. In carrying out this mission, we work with foundations, businesses, nonprofit organizations, and the public sector. PPV's work addresses a wide range of 30 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 critical social issues and involves a varying groups of sectors and institutions. This diversity provides us with the perspective and expertise to assist policymakers, funders, and communities in setting priorities and identifying realistic opportunities for advancing effective policies and practices. We have been involved in several local initiatives, including Youth Violence Reduction Partnership, YVRP, that District Attorney Abraham spoke about; the Ex-Offender Reentry Initiative through the Search For Common Ground, which is a national demonstration which is the forerunner to the prison reentry initiative now being implemented by the Department of Labor; the Youth Education For Tomorrow literacy initiative; and the Amachi mentoring children of children prisoners project. Thus, it is very fitting that P/PV participate in the Blueprint For A Safer Philadelphia Project, joining a collaborative effort that includes faith-based, 31 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 community-based, and justice organizations working to reduce crime and increase positive outcomes for the members of our community. In November of 2005, P/PV assumed responsibility for coordinating the Blueprint For A Safer Philadelphia Project. We are excited to bring our research program development and program management expertise to this important initiative. In addition to the general coordination of Blueprint activities, P/PV is serving as the fiscal agent for the social marketing campaign being implemented by MEE Productions and the operator of the toll-free hotline, which is CHOICE, Incorporated. P/PV is also serving as the intermediary for the distribution of grant monies to the community-based organizations that meet established criteria and are subsequently -- or, they were selected for participation in the Blueprint project. The organizations selected to participate in the first phase of this project are After School Activities Partnership; 32 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 Congreso de Latinos Unidos, Incorporated; Good Shepherd Mediation Program; Keep Kids Safe Summer Camp; Philadelphia Mural Arts Program; the Sultan Jihad Ahmad Community Foundation; Youth Outreach Adolescent Community Awareness Program; and Youth Violence Intervention Project. P/PV's research staff will conduct a review of the types of information readily available to the public regarding Philadelphia's social services. We will then conduct an assessment of a subset of those social services that target the neighborhoods in Philadelphia with the most violent crime. The Blueprint For A Safer Philadelphia Project and its partners will use this information to plan initiative activities in subsequent years. Since P/PV has joined the project in November, our work has focused on several critical tasks. On January 6, our staff hosted an applicant's meeting for community-based organizations identified as potential providers of direct services for 33 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 Phase 1 of the project. We presented an overview of the application process and the funding guidelines. We also discussed data collection at the applicant's meeting, which will be important for monitoring the organization's effectiveness in serving youth from the targeted communities. As the Blueprint project gets underway, P/PV will work with each site to develop a monthly reporting system based on the site's program as articulated in their proposals.

We will also develop a general intake form for the sites to use. P/PV has established and convened the Blueprint Think Tank Advisory Council, composed of a diverse body of experts in public health, research, youth violence programs, education, substance abuse, and delinquency prevention to discuss the project's current activities and provide insight about its future direction. And, lastly, as Blueprint is 34 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 envisioned to be a citywide violence-prevention and service-delivery campaign, P/PV is cataloguing organizations that provide children and youth services based on established effective practices for reducing youth violence and for addressing the risk factors associated with it. P/PV encourages and supports the systematic roll-out of the Blueprint For A Safer Philadelphia Project to ensure that the project's activities are coordinated, effective, and relevant to the stakeholders; that is, the youth, parents, community members and local community groups identified for the social marketing campaign. Additionally, it is our opinion that the Blueprint For A Safer Philadelphia Project will be strengthened through intentional collaboration with other existing and/or emerging anti-violence campaigns in the City of Philadelphia. Thank you again, co-persons Tasco and Reed Miller for allowing Public Private Ventures' testimony on behalf of the Blueprint 35 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 For A Safer Philadelphia. We look forward to continuing to work with faith- and community-based organizations, the business sector, law enforcement, justice organizations, policymakers, and Philadelphia's citizenry to effect positive and sustainable change in the quests to reduce the violence that affect us all. Thank you, again.

Thank you very much.

Good morning, Council persons Tasco, Miller, and Ramos, and other elected officials. My name is Alicia Jackson. I am with MEE Productions, a national research-based communications company located here in Philadelphia. MEE Productions was introduced to this effort about nine months ago by Representative Evans. As a member of this extraordinary team, MEE is also committed to eradicating violence. The Blueprint For A Safer 36 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 Philadelphia has developed into an ever-changing, all-inclusive public health prevention model to address youth violence in Philadelphia. As a viable component of the Blueprint campaign, MEE Productions has designed a comprehensive social marketing effort that will target adults, parents, and youth. To lay the foundation for our message-development process, MEE conducted qualitative research with the audience to better understand violence here in Philadelphia. We will show the documentary of those focus groups conducted in various communities across the city. In March 2006, MEE will launch the social marketing component of the Blueprint For A Safer Philadelphia. We will lead with radio ads, print materials, and transit ads targeting adults. Shortly thereafter we will follow with very direct messages to parents to say 37 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 there is assistance for your day-to-day issues and assistance with raising your children. Then we will follow up with messages to young people offering alternatives to violence; for example, stressing the importance of education. At the same time we are implementing a very hard and aggressive media campaign, we will also be in the community working with community-based organizations and the audience directly to deliver these messages, to have a dialogue with the community about how we change their mindset around violence. We will be visible in the community at major events and we will be working directly with the audience to deliver this message. We expect to saturate the community with the campaign and the primary message of taking of control and taking a role, because that is the Blueprint For A Safer Philadelphia. We will watch the documentary at this time. 38 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 While we are setting that up, let me just explain that some of the people actually received one of the promotional items that will be distributed in the community, which is a phone card which lists the toll-free number which is very critical to this campaign. 1-888-570-BLUE. Through that toll-free number everyone will have access, direct access, to the campaign. Hopefully you have that. Thank you. (Whereupon the documentary was shown.) STATE REPRESENTATIVE EVANS: The person who has been working with us from the very beginning, outside individual, who just came in from Boston, she is with the School of Public Health of Harvard University, Dr. Deborah Stith. And she, basically, has helped us go through this entire Blueprint on the social side. And, Dr. Stith.

Thank you so much for coming and taking the train to get 39 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 here.

Actually, I made it on the plane, but I could have been on the train for as long as it took. The weather crippled both our cities.

Would you speak into the microphone and identify yourself.

Good morning. I am Deborah Prothrow-Stith, and I am Professor of Practice and Associate Dean at the Harvard School of Public Health. And it gives me great pleasure to come before you this morning. I received a call from Representative Evans in February of 2005 regarding assisting with the effort here in Philadelphia to deal with youth violence, and I was really impressed with that call. I get calls regularly. But what impressed me was the commitment to a long-term solution and a commitment to what we call primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention. It is usual when I get the calls for people to want a quick fix. They want the 40 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 thing that will fix the problem now, the one program or the magic solution. And most often people want the punitive, more criminal responses to the problem. They are looking to be tougher on the bad kids. And I think the impression that I got from our initial call and from working with the staff and through the months of meeting with people from Philadelphia was that people wanted a real solution, and they understood that it would take a long-term commitment. " And often most of our public policy deals with after the fact. And the Blueprint really gives us an opportunity to look at the ten-year time line and add in the primary and secondary prevention. 41 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 It has been a real pleasure. We have met with hundreds of people. We have had scores of meetings. In August -- and I have to tell you this story. Because I have been involved in a few planning processes and community organizing. And usually near the end the attendance sort of wanes a bit. And this was August. So it was the end of the summer; you know, Meeting No. 15 or 16 in this process. And when I flew in from Boston, I figured the attendance would be pretty low. And the first room where they took me could only seat about 30 people. And we had been meeting with hundreds, you know, 60, 80, hundreds of people in the meetings prior to that. So I felt like I was right, you know, that this was going to be a smaller meeting. And after a few people arrived, maybe 20 or so, I got up to start the meeting. And they said, "Well, we are going to meet in 42 BILLS NO. " And when I went in the other room, there were 95 people in there, many of them having been at three or four of the prior meetings. I have just been impressed over and over again with the city's commitment. It has a history of dealing with youth violence prevention. And I think what the Blueprint does -- and the second round of legislation took the money to million -- focused on up 14 front and in the thick activities, brought 15 together some stellar community partners and 16 management partners like P/PV and MEE Productions. And think this is a real opportunity for the city to declare zero homicides among youth by 2016. For my money, this is the right stuff. It is really as exciting as it gets when you look at this from a public health perspective. To deal with that zero youth 43 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 homicide commitment, we really do have to focus on the very young children now, the 4 year olds, for example. They will be 18 ten 5 years from now. 6 And if all of our money and efforts 7 go into punishing juvenile delinquents, we 8 will miss the opportunity to really take care of the children. And the Blueprint says very clearly, children in Philadelphia will not have to hit rock bottom before they get services. And that's the kind of commitment that will make this Blueprint a success. So it was a pleasure, even though it was hard to get here in your snowbound city and my snowbound city, it is a pleasure to be here before you today to demonstrate once again my excitement about what is in front of us. Thank you.

Thank you. STATE REPRESENTATIVE EVANS: I would like to say for both Chairpersons, because we have other panels and it is very important to get all the other panels, the law enforcement, 44 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 the health panel, the grass-roots, the youth panels, the community, business, because all of them are part of the Blueprint. What you have just heard here, I don't think I have ever seen in the City of Philadelphia where there is a partnership from a public health perspective to the criminal justice system. And we all understand that this has to be long-term. We know it has been long and extensive. We appreciate, you know, your allowing us to have this opportunity. But we think it is important that you get the overall comprehensive view of what we are attempting to do. So, Madam Chair, if there are any questions. If there's not, we will move out of the way and allow you to go to the next panel.

I have a couple of questions. And, first, I would like to thank you all for coming. And certainly, Dr. Stith, thank you for coming. Thank you for your 45 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 leadership and heading up the discussion around the Blueprint. I think it is because of your leadership and your commitment and your credentials that kept people focused and involved in the process. And it has ended up with a wonderful plan for the future for our young people. I just have a couple of questions. One, I have a couple for the Representative and for our District Attorney. And I just want to ask State Representative Evans, where do you see the legislation going that State Senator LeAnna Washington has introduced, One Hand Gun a Month bill in Harrisburg? Do you see that possibly -- and it is targeted just for Philadelphia. Do you think that is a worthwhile effort, and do you think it is going to get accepted in Harrisburg? STATE REPRESENTATIVE EVANS: The answer is, yes, I am optimistic about that legislation. Senator LeAnna Washington, 46 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 Representative John Myers in the House, both have been leading the effort. Senator Washington last week had a meeting, which I attended along with Senator Vince Fumo and Representative Ron Waters for the first time. I am not going to speak for Senator Fumo; he can speak for himself. I think for the first time he has admitted that he thinks that this can play somewhat of a part in terms of change gun policy. So I think now you have Senator Fumo, who is now joining with Senator Washington, targeted specifically to the city itself in terms of the One Gun a Month. So Senator Fumo is joining with Senator Washington. Representative Myers is moving the effort in the House. But I want to go a step further than that, both Council people. I have said consistently that I think overall that Philadelphia should have its own gun policy back. I know in 1995, that it changed. I believe that the city should 47 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 have its own policy. We have been researching the possibility. I spoke to Councilwoman Donna Reed Miller. I don't disagree that gun policy is a part of a blueprint for a safer Philadelphia. So we want to be clear. We doesn't want to be very naive. We believe that we are working this on all fronts, primary, secondary, tertiary. We are working it on all fronts. So I think that's the difference. I am going to say to you I am optimistic. Obviously, things can change. It is an election year, which, as I say, that's why my optimism is there.

District Attorney Lynne Abraham, how is the gun court funded? Is it federal state or local? And you mentioned it in your testimony. DISTRICT ATTORNEY ABRAHAM: We received some funding from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, which is a pass-through through the state agency. So, 48 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 that's all state funded.

I guess, Dr. Stith, for you, in the earlier testimony we talked about intervention. How early should we intervene with young people? And where in the Blueprint is that outlined? To target, say, 4 to 6, beginning at a very early age, is that part of the group?

It is part of the Blueprint. I would say there isn't an age which is too early to intervene. At some point you are talking about very basic child development, nurturing, parental example, community support. And those have to be in place pretty much throughout a child's life. It is in the work with the community agencies, whether it is YOACAP or the camps at the Greater Philadelphia Urban Affairs. And at one of our meetings we actually broke the providers down by primary, secondary, and tertiary. So at each table we had a collection of providers who worked in 49 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 that area. And, so, the funding through the Blueprint goes to some of the up front, as well as in the thick. My opinion is, you can't do too much up front, because even those young people who are part of the criminal justice system have younger siblings who need extra. They are in the thick, if you will. And if we don't use even that opportunity of family's involvement in the criminal justice system to identify those younger siblings, and then help them provide that extra, the mentoring, a huge part of this kind of activity, then we miss the opportunity.

Where in the funding would there are dollars for daycare centers? I was speaking to a friend who owns a daycare center. And she talked about a program that she has in her daycare center reaching out to the very young children about behavior. 50 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 Are there funds available for daycare providers, so that we can even go to the very, very young ages?

I would say, yes. And for the next phase what we will do is open the application process to organizations within the city who could provide services in the targeted areas. And daycare would definitely be considered, if they have a program that would be applicable to our goals and objectives. STATE REPRESENTATIVE EVANS: Council person, not that I would like to spend the surplus that you all have, but since I get a moment to comment. I read in the paper you have like $146 million. I could only give my opinion. I know you are all going through your budget deliberations. My advice -- and this is a perfect timing for us to have this hearing. I think you heard the District Attorney mention some question of ownership. I will say the same thing. 51 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 Politically people need to understand that the $16 million that we pulled off, this is the only county in the entire Commonwealth that is receiving this particular initiative. I would caution the city to understand that, although we have this initiative, the city itself has to make some priority decisions. I mean, I understand the pressures that you have on you as a city, and obviously I respect though pressures. And as a person who is the Chairman of the House Provision Committee, I understand about the choices that we have to make. I am only stressing this to you because it is very important that the city itself, in your budgetary priorities, show some type of ownership, if you believe in this initiative. And that's why it is good to have this hearing, to have this open discussion. Because, you know, you have a budget coming up. The D.A. made some comments relating to something that she thinks. I also 52 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 made some comments. You know, I am prepared to do all I can do, but we really need to have the city itself make some kind of decisions in your budget deliberations.

Thank you very much. We hear that message. One last question to the District Attorney. You talked about what you are doing with young people, carrying their records to adulthood. And there is concern for expungement. One of the problems we have, as you talked about it, is the fact that once a young person or anyone gets a record, it is very difficult to get employment. Now, what are we going to do to help young people overcome that problem? Because if they don't feel that it is worthwhile going straight, why go straight; if in the end they try to do well and try to get themselves together, then this record keeps them from moving forward? DISTRICT ATTORNEY ABRAHAM: I think 53 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 if I might, this is like the tail that wags the dog. It is not that we have to do. We have to impress on youngsters before they get a record that the worst thing they can do is get a record. When you see as many kids as we do, who don't feel as though there is any hope for them at all, then they don't care about a record when they are or or or 17. It 11 is meaningless to them. 12 So I think what we need to do is to 13 make sure that, as we are trying to do with 14 youth aid panels, with Don't Fall Down in the 15 Hood which was featured in the film, these are 16 young men all of whom have been found in possession of illegal firearms; and we're trying to get them understand that a firearm means that, if it is there, you are going to take it out and use it. And the wrong way to go is to carry a gun in the first place. We are trying to rescue these young men before. It is bad enough to have a gun arrest and conviction. It is worse to have a 54 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 body or almost a body. It's no -- it's quite the contrary of what the popular perception is as you heard on the film. Hey, I've got two bodies. Oh, he has two bodies, you have to respect him The whole idea is to make sure that kids respect education; that they have to understand that getting a job and working is the right way to go. And I agree with Dr. Stith that by the time a child is 5 or 6, certainly no later than 6, he or she's values are already set by what they see around them in their home. So if you are brought up in a tumultuous background, with lack of parental concern and intervention and love and a affection, and if all they see around them are arguments settled by violence, whether it is in the home, out on the streets, in television, or in the movies, and videos and games that they watch, it is going to be very hard for the criminal justice system to intervene. However, the importance for me is 55 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 that you have to prevent these kids from getting into violence in the first place. And most of our kids are not engaging in violence; but, those who are, are going to pay a penalty. And they really have to understand that an arrest and conviction or an arrest and adjudication is very serious business for later on in life. And somehow we have to get the message that an arrest is not a badge of honor or glory; it is a mark of disapprobation and a mark of lacking in social controls, and there is going to be a penalty for it.

If I may make a comment. I would like to just say that I think your question is an extremely important question. Because a lot of our kids actually learn the hard way that violence is painful, doesn't solve problems, and has lots of consequences. James Garbarino, a colleague, calls it the toxic environment. And, basically, through movies and television and what I would call a kind of gangster culture that's being 56 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 adopted not just in entertainment media, but even by adults, kids are learning that violence is cool. It is hip, this whole thing of the having a record or being mean or being tough. And, in many ways, it is only in the criminal justice system that many are finding out that it is not glamorous, it doesn't solve problems, the consequences are really steep. And, so, the question of how do we help those young offenders who are first or second offenders get back in society is a huge and important question. And there are programs and efforts to do that. But that's an area that, as a country, we really have to pay attention to. Because there are many prime examples of wonderful leaders who had terrible young teen years and adult years, and were able to put their lives back together. And, so, we always want to do that. While the up-front and the in the thick, those two are really important, the rehab of our young people is important, as 57 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 well.

Thank you very much. Councilwoman Miller.

Yes. Good afternoon. Good morning. Just as a followup. I too was concerned about the year old. D.A. 10 Abraham, when you said that in the past, or 11 currently, children's records, juvenile 12 records, don't follow them past age 18, and 13 there was some effort that you were looking at 14 to see, what types of crime are we looking at? 15 DISTRICT ATTORNEY ABRAHAM: I think 16 I may not have made myself clear. 17 It used to be that, when you turned 18 18, if you had juvenile adjudication for a crime, your record was expunged. In other words, when you turned 18, you started off with a clean record. So you could walk into court and, essentially, lie to the court and say, I have no prior criminal record. Now that is not the case any longer. 58 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 The law was changed to reflect the juvenile adjudications and records for crimes of juveniles who carry their record with them at age when they are arrested for new crimes. 6 That is not only fair, but just. 7 First of all, it is a fraud on the 8 court for a juvenile to walk into court and 9 say, "I have never been arrested before," 10 which is what they did regularly. 11 Second of all, the society demands 12 that a judge have a full picture of a juvenile 13 when the judge is attempting to fashion an 14 appropriate sentence for a young offender, who 15 at 18 is facing a substantial criminal 16 penalty. 17 So in order for the judge to 18 understand the full picture of a juvenile's background, the judge now knows that this child has been convicted or adjudicated delinquent of armed robbery, rape, violent assault, gun possession, drug and gun possession, and the judge can fashion a more appropriate sentence. I think that is a more effective way 59 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 of dealing with those offenders who have been adjudicated delinquent of serious violent felonies and gone to prison. There is also the certification of young people who are to be tried as adults for those who are years of age or older who 8 have violent crimes, carry firearms, and use 9 them to commit crimes. 10 So this is all because, if you look 11 at the figures, the people who are most likely 12 to commit crimes are age 13, 14, 15, usually 13 14, 15, to, like, 34. That's our biggest 14 homicide bunch or bundle, 13, 14, 15 to 34. 15 So, obviously, violent crimes are generally committed by young people, and it is all related to risk assessment and acting on those risk values. If we can, as I said before, intervene in young people's lives with Don't Fall Down in the Hood, the juvenile justice/criminal justice curriculums in schools, church outreach, involved parenthood, and other many varied social programs, we might be able to impress on kids, as Dr. 60 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 Prothrow-Stith did say, that it is no big deal to have a criminal record; it is the worst thing that can happen to you in your life. Don't go after it as a badge of honor. Go after it as something you should avoid at all possible costs.

Well, I agree with that. And certainly we all talk about the societal impact things that are happening in society that helps our kids go into this violent history and track record. But I would hope that, if it is a nonviolent crime, that that's not following a young person from juvenile to adult. You know, we have had discussions in the past about direct file and all the other things. And I won't take up time with that today, because of time and so many other people DISTRICT ATTORNEY ABRAHAM: But direct filing is only for, only for, those very violent people who are committing murders, aggravated assaults, assaults with 61 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 intent to kill, rape. This is not for somebody who has a couple of bags of drugs.

I know that. Thank you, for the record. But I would also like to know -- I have a couple of questions about the Youth Violence Reduction Partnership. And I agree that all the stations, all the police districts that need that should have that. What qualifies a district or an area of the city to be able to take advantage of the Youth Violence Reduction program? DISTRICT ATTORNEY ABRAHAM: Since the criteria is, where are the places where the most homicides are happening, we looked at those districts that appeared to have the most violent crime. No disrespect intended. But, for example, up in the Northeast, the 2nd or the 8th Police District would not qualify. It doesn't mean there isn't violence there. And I don't mean to be disrespectful of that fact. People in that neighborhood think that their crime is out of control. And I am not 62 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 disagreeing with that. But what we are looking at is dead bodies. Where are the shootings, where are the killings, where are the horrible hospital cases, where is the violent crime, who is likely to kill or be killed. So that's why we started in the 24th, 25th, a bit of the 26th, and the 12th, because those areas are -- were extremely challenging It doesn't mean that we couldn't have started in the 23rd, the 22nd, the 17th, the 3rd, the 19th, the 18th, or any other district. We had to pick an area. So we were looking at youth and a discrete geographic area, so we started there. So it is the dead body count. And if you look at the maps that the Philadelphia Police Department uses to mark where shootings are and where homicides are, you see there are discrete clusters, areas, neighborhoods, or parts of councilmanic or police districts where those violent crimes are the most. 63 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 And that's what we are looking at; dead bodies, where are people being killed, and who are the most likely to kill or be killed. STATE REPRESENTATIVE EVANS: And, Council person, I think also, in listening to P/PV, there is an attempt to have a strategy to align the organizations to supplement sort of like the police and the criminal justice policies. If you heard earlier, the organizations that were selected, which we can speak, are organizations that try to be on the front end, in the primary. So what we are trying to do is to align a seamless type of system together, which has not been there before. We are really trying to, from the criminal justice, the public health, we are trying to be on that front end. We are trying to change the mindset. And the only other thing we need to do is look at our budgetary priorities. For example, I spoke to the 64 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 Secretary of Corrections. When went into that particular position, there was 39,000 people in prison. There are now 42, 43. He did not want the number to grow under his watch. But, unfortunately, what is happening is, he is responding to the situation. So he recognizes from a prison standpoint, and one of the things that he wants to do, is invest more money in rehabilitation, do things in prison, because 99 percent of those people eventually come out. So I have spoken to the Secretary of Corrections. And we are trying to, from a state perspective, to make certain kinds of investments that would not continue just to warehouse folks and then return and come back into the community. So it is a massive effort that we are trying to do by really trying to put this together.

Thank you. Couple of other questions. 65 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 D.A. Abraham, you labeled the killings as "interpersonal violence." I think that's the first time I have heard that. Can you just tell us the little difference between -- DISTRICT ATTORNEY ABRAHAM: Well, first of all, most of the people who are killing and being killed know each other. It is not that there are no 11 homicides in any city where strangers kill strangers. It does happen. We have had notable examples in Philadelphia. But, for the most part, our killings are between people who know each other, have some prior history together. Most of them are arguments. Could be over drug territory, it could be perceived slight over respect. Somebody says something about a relative of mine, a perceived slight about me or the way I carry myself or what I do. So, therefore, I labeled it "interpersonal" because it is -- well, it is interpersonal, first of all. And, second of 66 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 all, it's not from a distance; it is up close and personal. If somebody is killing somebody, it is because they know that person, and that person has stepped over the line of what the killer thinks is beyond the social compact that they have established. Whether you have come into my drug territory, made a remark about my family, insulted me, or did something that I perceived to be a slight, we have had an argument over something. A lot of it is youth directed, and a lot of it is without much thought about the consequences. And that's why we have to try to get young people who carry a gun to think about the consequences. So it is interpersonal violence amongst people who know each other in an extremely young block of ages.

If I could. You would be interested in Fox Butterfield's book, All God's Children. It traces this notion of dissing or disrespect 67 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 all the way back to rural America in 1800s, and even back to Scotland and Ireland. And the dueling, which was a practice of early Americans -- Alexander Hamilton being one -- really is, in many ways, a kind of act of defending one's family against disrespect. If the family was dishonored, a duel was an appropriate way to respond. I offer that to say that, what's pretty clear about this issue of violence -- because in that day homicide rates were high among elite, white, rural, southern men, and very high rates. I say that to say that what's pretty clear about this problem is that it's learned behavior. And our children learn it from us as adults, they learn it from the entertainment media, they learn it from the culture. And if we are going to really have zero homicides of young people in Philadelphia in 2016, it will be that kind of comprehensive set of strategies that we put on the table 68 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 that will make that happen. So this issue of disrespect is something that's part of our culture. And we really -- and, in fact, it's -- Fox Butterfield puts forth the notion that the slaves, at the point of freedom, learned this whole issue of dishonor and disrespect in that southern violent culture. So that's an assumption that he makes. I think it is pretty clear that we learn it from almost every avenue possible. So, addressing it really means taking it out of our culture. DISTRICT ATTORNEY ABRAHAM: There is one significant difference, however. And I have read that book, and it is marvelous. But, obviously, just as -- if you are watching Bleak House on PBS this past couple of weeks, the whole idea of class and the strata of class, the lower classes never had the opportunity to kill each other over honor because they were considered beneath honor. It was the elite, the upper class where honor was considered primary over 69 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 everything. And the interesting concept of having duels to protect your family's honor was extremely important. They didn't consider the lower classes as worth anything, so it wasn't manifested there. When the migration came here and people came here, the notion of your family's honor became extremely important to us because we were different than the British social strata. And this has filtered down to today's kids where, it is not a matter of honor over something that has perceived to be major. It can be something that's so minor to us that we can't comprehend it; but it is so major and grand to the person hearing it or watching it that they believe that their reputation on the street will be irreparably damaged if they don't respond in kind. And the response is totally inappropriate. It's not, let's have a discussion about this, let's --

Much like Alexander 70 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 Hamilton being killed in a duel. DISTRICT ATTORNEY ABRAHAM: You're absolutely right. But it doesn't happen just once or twice. It happens in this area over a look, a glance, a word, or something relatively minor. That's the thing that we really need to concentrate on. How do we get ourselves to the point where we get away from shooting and get to the point where we are talking and reasoning. STATE REPRESENTATIVE EVANS: And, Councilwoman, to your point, New York Times yesterday, "Here in Milwaukee, one woman killed a friend after they argued over a brown silk dress. A man killed a neighbor whose ten year old son had mistakenly used his dish soap. And two men argued over a cell phone, pulling out their guns, and the police say killed a 13 year old girl in the cross-fire." So from what you said, to what Dr. Stith said, to what District Attorney Lynne Abraham said, that's kind of the crux of where we are 71 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 When we talk about this Blueprint being comprehensive, we talked about primary secondary, this is where we are. And this is why, in my view, it has to be a sustainable effort. One of the things that the MEE Productions people did, we were actually listening to the folks. We were listening to them. And then by listening, we did ten focus groups. Unheard of. Unheard of in this effort. Normally, particularly those of us in the public policy sector, we kind of think we know. But, here, do we really know? And here we listened to them. So what we are trying to do -- which is different, and that's why we relate it to a campaign -- we are trying to adjust the campaign to the needs of where we are. We are trying to go to the targeted areas, where we need to be. And then in the ideal world, even in those areas where the numbers may not be what they are in certain police districts, other sections, that's where 72 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 we get into trying to make early investment, so they will never get to the point. It has been a lot of neglect over a lot of years that has led up to where we are. That's really where we are. It has been a lot of neglect. And the reality of it is that we are finding it difficult to deal with. That's what the problem is. We can't come up with a quick answer. So we have the pressure of the press, right, 380 homicides. They constantly keep asking us what can we do. We keep thinking we can just pass a piece of legislation, whatever. That's not going to happen.

No, that's not going to happen. I think that's what's good about the Blueprint, that it is a comprehensive long-term strategy. And we can do what we can do in the short term; such as funding, you know, those groups that are providing services. And hopefully the school district will incorporate 73 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 this in the curriculum in elementary school, and not just in middle school. And since you said they are going to incorporate the criminal justice curriculum in middle school, I hope it is during the early grades and not the latter grades, like 8th grade. And we have to figure out ways to reach out to those parents and provide some parenting classes early on and start -- I have a friend who teaches at an elementary school, and she believes that we should be in those classrooms in kindergarten. And just like Tasco just talked about, funding daycares, you know. I remember when my daughter was in the first grade, and she came home and gave me a lesson on graffiti, anti-graffiti. And I said, "Where did you get all that from?" "My principal." So I know that if we talk to children early on, then it helps, it will work. And we do have to turn the tide around 74 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 here in Philadelphia. There's too many parents crying and too many of the perpetrators' families also crying. They are both victims. STATE REPRESENTATIVE EVANS: Can I say this from one legislator to the other two legislators? Chief executives, with no 9 disrespect, have their priorities. Legislators can have their priorities. I suggest to you as two legislators -- and I can say that any time -- you are going through that process. My advice would be -- because, you know, His Honor presented his budget in Harrisburg. You didn't see the Blueprint listed. The Blueprint came about in negotiations. I want you to be clear. You all have the same option that I have. Though His Honor mentioned about the importance of violence from a Harrisburg perspective -- and I am not saying he is not supportive of the things I do -- but I kind of got to go do that leg work for my alliances with the Speaker and Senator Fumo and do all I have to do to get 75 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 him to understand, this is important. And I'm not minimizing anything any chief executive does. That's their recommendations. But, you know, we have to say to the public that we got just as much responsibility to change the priorities. We have to change the priorities and do it on the front end. Because we cannot -- I am going to keep saying to you -- we cannot afford to continue doing it on the back end. We cannot afford it. You will not be able to keep up. You can't hire enough people, build enough prisons to be able to do that.

Thank you.

Thank you. We heard you loud and clear. Thank you very much. And, Dr. Stith, we hope you will be able to stay around a little bit, if you can.

I am here for the afternoon.

We have Police Commissioner Sylvester Johnson, Denise Clayton, Catherine McVey, Rob Eddis, Darryl 76 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 Coates, and Joe Flores. And we appreciate you coming before us today, as you have always been accessible. And, thank you for your testimony. Thank you for being so patient, for waiting. And we appreciate your coming before us today, as you have always been accessible. Thank you for your testimony. COMMISSIONER SYLVESTER M. JOHNSON: Do you want me to start?

Yes. COMMISSIONER JOHNSON: Good morning, ma'am Chair, Council members, and guests. I am Police Commissioner Sylvester Johnson. Thank you for inviting me to speak about this important issue. Violence has already claimed too many lives. Parents bury their children prematurely when criminals use illegally possessed firearms. To these violent offenders perceive disrespect is worth more than human life. The facts are that our children are suffering. We must strengthen our efforts to 77 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 end the violence now. The Blueprint For A Safer Philadelphia is a long-range, anti-violence initiative that the Philadelphia Police Department fully supports. By working in conjunction with plans that are already reducing violence, such as Operation Safer Streets, the Youth Violence Reduction Partnership, the new Adolescent Violence Reduction Partnership, the Blueprint will work as a catalyst to make Philadelphia one of the safest cities in the country. The cooperative component of the Blueprint is one of its major strengths. It is my belief that traditional policing alone will not work. We must continue to forge alliances for stakeholders such as the community at-large, clergy, schools, businesses, other law enforcement agencies, community and town watch groups, elected officials, and concerned citizens. Numerous organizations, at all level of the public and private sectors, recognize the benefits of this long-term initiative. Another benefit is that the 78 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 Blueprint is comprehensive in scope. It does not attack one problem, but many simultaneous. Four of the ten programs incorporated into the Blueprint focus on social issues, education and on preventing high-risk youths from losing their lives to violence. The expansion of the already successful Youth Reduction Partnership and the Safe Neighborhoods Initiative focus on children and young adults, ages 30 and under, who are at risk. The Juvenile/Criminal Justice Curriculum and the Community Education and Involvement initiatives are broader efforts, aimed at using education and information as deterrents against violence. In addition to the above, the Blueprint focuses on court reform issues, such as the creation of Zone Courts and Gun Courts and supports federal and state projects that are aimed at stemming gun violence. The authors of the Blueprint support increased funding for Federal Project Safe Neighborhoods and State Alternative Program. 79 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 Statutory reform is also necessary to diminish the culture of violence. A five-year mandatory sentence for armed drug trafficking has already been enacted. However, law enforcement needs more tools in its arsenal to effectively deter violent crime. I fully support the enactment of the Armed Violent Career Criminal statute and penalty increases for illegal firearms possession. There are also two other pieces of legislation which would benefit the fight against violence. The right to bear arms also carries a heavy burden of responsibility, which includes the duty to properly store these weapons and to report lost or stolen firearms. Such laws must be enacted. Also important is the need to limit the purchase of guns to one gun a month. This would reduce the ability of straw purchasers to transfer firearms illegally. There is no weapon as powerful as the courage of individuals and the strength of a united community. The initiatives that are 80 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 included in the Blueprint for a safer Philadelphia will only be effective through the cooperative effort of law enforcement and the public. Thank you.

Thank you very much. We will have the presentations, and then we will have questions. COMMISSIONER JOHNSON: Yes, ma'am.

Would you identify yourself for the record, please.

Good morning, Madam Chair and other Council members and guests. I am Denise Clayton, recently appointed Coordinator of the Youth Violence Reduction Partnership within the Managing Director's Office. The Youth Violence Reduction Partnership, also known as YVRP, was formed in 1999 with the goal of reducing the number of homicides among young people ages 7 to 24. At that time, while overall homicides in Philadelphia were on a downward trend, homicides of young people remained 81 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 alarmingly high. In 1998, 144 Philadelphians ages 4 to 24 had been murdered. In 2005, 149 were 5 murdered in the same age group. 6 The initial inspiration for YVRP 7 came from Boston's Operation Cease Fire, a faith-based community government coalition that helped reduce the city's murder rate among young people significantly in the 1990s. With the support of the William Penn Foundation and the Pew Charitable Trusts, Philadelphia law enforcement agencies, including the police department, District Attorney's Office, and adult and juvenile probation, another agency serving youth, representatives of the local court system, Public Private Ventures, and Philadelphia Safe and Sound came together to examine the situation in Philadelphia and develop a public/private partnership to tackle the youth violence problem. Most YVRP organization partners are local government agencies, with the District Attorney's Office, police department, and 82 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 adult and juvenile probation playing leading roles, along with Philadelphia Anti-Drug and Anti-Crime Network (PAAN), which provides the street-workers' component of the partnership. These law enforcement agencies are working together in new ways. Police and probation officers are patrolling neighborhoods together. Probation officers are no longer desk-bound, but out on the street. This is changing the culture of how law enforcement agencies work together, but also improving the view the community has of law enforcement. There are five major components of YVRP. The first is identification of those most likely to kill or be killed. This identification of youth partners is based on an analysis of past offenses, criminal activity, and community intelligence gathered by police, probation, and community-based street workers. Intensive surveillance, the second component, by probation officers and police to 83 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 closely monitor youth partners in their homes, schools, and neighborhoods. This includes stepped-up random home visits by probation officers at all hours, regular identification of hot spots, with targeted joint patrols by probation officers and police, and frequent and random drug testing. The third is graduation of sanctions in which violations such as drug test failures or curfew violations provoke immediate sanctions ranging from area and association restrictions, curfews, and hourly reporting requirements, to required treatment, electronic monitoring, and confinement. The fourth positive support, such as drug treatment, job training, and placement and education assistance, is coordinated through a team of street workers that are assigned to assist YVRP participants. And the fifth is gun suppression, to enforce gun laws against the targeted offenders. Working with local, state, and federal authorities, YVRP works to deter the 84 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 access and use of firearms by the youth partners with a clear, no-tolerance policy for any youth partner possessing a firearm. A key factor in the effectiveness of YVRP is the identification of which youth are most likely to kill or be killed unless there is some type of intervention. To do this, the YVRP operation committee reviews the criminal and delinquency records of candidates, looking at both convictions and arrests.

Candidates are initially identified and referred to the operations committee for consideration by the following: Either through the police department, either through general referrals of known high-risk offenders or by examining the crime logs on a weekly basis; also through adult and juvenile probation units either by YVRP staff scanning criminal records or by referrals from other probation units or people who fit the general criteria; and, thirdly, through the YVRP street workers or by the general community who may know of a high-risk offender in the 85 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 neighborhood that may not yet have the kind of criminal record that would otherwise make them a candidate. Once offered for YVRP consideration, the major factors considered in the final selection for the program include any charges for a gun-related offense, involvement in a shooting incident either as a perpetrator or victim, an arrest record for violent crimes or offenses relating to the drug trade, failure to adjust while under court supervision, or community knowledge of an individual's propensity for drug trafficking or violence regardless of a lack of any of the previously mentioned factors. Since YVRP was initiated in the 24th Police District in 1999, murders in that district among youth ages 7 to 24 declined by an average of 50 percent. In the 25th Police District, since implementation in 2000, murders in that district among youth ages 7 to declined by 24 an average of 48 percent. Since 2003, the first full year of 86 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 implementation in the 12th Police District, murders in that district among youth ages to 4 24 declined by an average of 19 percent. 5 In 2005 citywide, excluding YVRP 6 districts -- the 24th, the 25th, and the 7 12th -- homicides in ages 7 to 24 increased 98 percent from 2004. A number of 54 in 2004, to 107 in 2005. Whereas, in YVRP districts -- that is, the 24th, 25th, and 12th -- homicides in the ages of 7 to 24 increased only by 62 percent from the number of 26 in 2004, to 42 in 2005. YVRP currently operates in 4 of Philadelphia's 25 police districts, with one more district scheduled for operation in this spring. In 2005, there were eight police districts that experienced eight or more youth homicides in at least one of the last two years. We expect to be fully operational in five of these eight districts by Fiscal Year 2007. It is with the funding from the 87 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 Blueprint For A Safer Philadelphia and a federal earmark from Senator Specter that YVRP has been able to not only continue operation in three police districts, but also fully expand them to another and begin the framework for expansion into one more. District expansion plans are based on analysis of trend data over several years so that patterns of violence can be considered over time to avoid entering a district based on a single or limited number of abhorrent incidents that drive homicide numbers up for a single year. In the past, YVRP leadership has been cautious and deliberate in its expansions in an effort to ensure that the factors that contributed to its prior successes could be carried over to new districts. We are confident that YVRP's success can be replicated throughout these additional high-risk districts because the condition of success had been forged already; and that is through strong and institutionalized leadership at the strategic management and 88 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 operational levels, a well thought-out and tested concept, strong partnership with all participating agencies committed to a common vision, attention to detail in development and delivery with operational protocols aimed at maintaining consistency and accountability throughout the initiative, strict accountability for meeting performance standards, and intense focus on a well-defined discrete objective, which is reducing murders among young people.

These conditions form a strong foundation for successful expansion. In fact, some of the elements of YVRP are being used outside of YVRP. For example, adult probation high-risk units are being formed to provide targeted joint patrols with police and more intensive supervision for offenders ages 18 to 35 in other nonYVRP police districts. In conclusion, youth violence in America's cities remains a seemingly intractable problem, yet there has been considerable research in recent years on how 89 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 to tackle it. A 2001 Surgeon General's report on youth violence noted that the key to preventing a great deal of violence is understanding where and when it occurs, determining what causes it, and scientifically documenting which of the many strategies for prevention and intervention are truly effective. We believe that the reduced youth homicide rates that YVRP has demonstrated since its introduction is the best evidence of its effectiveness. Through YVRP, we are analyzing data to identify what parts of the city are facing the greatest difficulties and what young people are at the greatest risk. We are intensively targeting resources to those young people using tested strategies of supervision, sanction, and support to prevent and intervene against future violence. We are closely monitoring the results of the initiative, continually 90 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 emphasizing accountability for performance, and adjusting our approach as the data demands. And we are keeping our eye on our ultimate goal, which is saving lives.

Thank you. Ms. McVey. MS. CATHERINE McVEY: Madam Chair, members of the committee, and my fellow panel members. My name is Catherine McVey. I am the Chairman of the Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole. I am here today because I would like to discuss what we do in parole to work to combat violence here in Philadelphia. I appreciate the opportunity to discuss this. Parole is involved in the selection of offenders for release and their careful and safe supervision. We work to reduce recidivism, we work to reduce violence, and most importantly we work to reduce future victimization. I wanted to be here today because there is nothing at all more important than saving human lives. The Pennsylvania Board of 91 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 Probation/Parole is working with you in Philadelphia to combat violence. We are here today to support the Philadelphia Blueprint For A Safer Philadelphia. Our role in parole starts with the selection of offenders, as I mentioned. We work to select individuals based on their level of risk and their readiness to return to their communities. We know that rehabilitation starts when offenders are in our prison system, but we also know that rehabilitation must be finalized once they return to the community. We know that our parolees are tempted by their old associates, by drugs, by violent activities. I believe that parole must be an integral member of our criminal justice system here in Philadelphia. We are responsible to effectively and safely manage our parole population. We have three primary needs for our parolees: They need jobs, they need housing, and they need treatment. 92 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 While our goal is very simple, to reduce recidivism, we know that the process of reducing recidivism and successfully re-integrating our parolees back into the community is very complex, very, very difficult. The core of our work, as I mentioned, is safe and solid parole supervision. Our agents on the street are on the street four out of five days a week. Our agents are not office people. We expect them to be out on the streets. We expect them to not hold traditional work hours. We want them out in the communities late at night, early in the morning, on the weekends. We have a 24/7 operation. We want to be where our parolees are. We want to observe them. We want to ensure that they are following the conditions of parole so that we can target the problems that our offenders are having early on. We also have a system of sanctioning for parole. What this means is, as our 93 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 parolees violate conditions of parole -- those are conditions that have been placed by our parole Board members, they are individually crafted for each and every parolee to identify that individual's criminogenic needs or his vulnerabilities to reoffend. When they violate conditions of parole, we intercept that process very early on and we impose sanctions. We want our sanctions to be corrective in nature, not merely punitive. We want them to correct the violation behavior that they are doing. For those offenders who then resume their parole successfully, we are able to complete parole. Here in Philadelphia, we successfully completed parole in about 1,500 offenders last year. For those parolees, however, who are determined to continue to violate parole and for whom we cannot safely and effectively continue to manage in the community, we then revoke them. We estimate that in Philadelphia 94 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 last year, we revoked about 2,000 offenders. Our conditions for our parolees are very important in terms of how we contain violence or the opportunity for them to be involved in violent behavior. One of the primary fundamental conditions of parole is that our parolees may not have firearms. Not only may they not have firearms, but we individually do a home plan investigation for each and every parolee.

And we make certain that, in that home, nobody is possessing firearms. We also have our agents routinely make contact with our parolees at home. We talk to the family members. We are there to support the family members. We want the family members to be an important part of helping to reestablish that offender back in the community. We also have, as another condition of parole, curfews. Typically -- and I believe I read in one of the articles -- that about 70 percent of the homicides are occurring in the late hours of the night or 95 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 early in the morning. When we impose curfews, which is a very common condition to impose on the offenders, we are regulating their times on the street. We also frequently will impose a period of electronic monitoring, particularly when they are first released from prison, because we want to be sure that they are going where they need to be and are at home, really, when they are supposed to be. We frequently will search the offenders' homes. We respond very quickly when we have intelligence that indicates that an offender, for example, has a firearm or is involved in some other illegal activity. As parole agents, we have the authorization to go into that home to work with that family and to discover if our parolee is violating any of the conditions of parole and, of course, most very importantly, if they are bearing firearms. We routinely work with law enforcement as needed in most all of our 96 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 communities. I am glad to report that we have a good relationship with our Philadelphia Police Department and, in fact, are getting ready to embark on a series of meetings to determine how we could further collaborate with our fellow members of our criminal justice system here in Philadelphia. We work with Philadelphia in a number of ways already. For example, in 2002, we established what is called our FAST Unit. S. Marshals and with the local law enforcement, the Violent Crimes Fugitive Task Force, in tracking down absconders. 2 percent of our entire parole population in the Commonwealth, which is right under 29,000. In Philadelphia, we have 8,800 parolees. And out of that number, we have currently about 792 absconders. 97 BILLS NO. 2 percent for or absconders. So we have our dedicated FAST Unit, which is comprised of five staff members, who work exclusively to search out the absconders. I am glad to report that, even though the parolee population here in Philadelphia has increased by percent over 12 the last three or four years, our absconders, the number of absconders, the flat rate, has remained pretty much the same. So our absconder rate is not increasing with the increase in our parole population. We are also participating in the Philadelphia Youth Violence Reduction Project, which is an effort to decrease violence among and against juveniles. We work with the Project Reconnect, which is through the Department of Labor and Industry. In Philadelphia I believe you have seven career links which are wonderful centers to help direct our parolees to find gainful 98 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 employment. We know that there is a direct relationship to employment and crime; it is an inverse relationship. We know that individuals who have gainful employment are less likely to be involved in crime. So one of the very primary targets of our reintroducing the offender back into the community, not only to find the home that we just talked about, a solid home plan, but is also to very quickly get them engaged in a steady and legal form of employment. The third piece of our work deals with the Forensic Task Force. The Philadelphia Forensic Task Force, that we have had a long-standing relationship with, works to identify with us those offenders who, when released, need a continuing support, particularly in the area of mental healthcare and services. In our prisons, about 15 percent of our population have mental health issues.

So, naturally, about 15 percent of individuals who are paroled have continuing mental health 99 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 problems. It is very important that we have a steady continuity of care and continued medications so that they don't decompensate. We also work with the Behavioral Health System Initiative in Philadelphia, which addresses not only mental health, but also helps us link our offenders with very important continuing drug and alcohol treatment. We know that offenders, then, who are gainfully employed, have a safe and protective supportive home, and are continuing to receive the necessary treatment are offenders who are most likely going to be successful when they get out. We know that research shows that during the first six months on into the first year, that the most significant number of offenders who are going to violate parole do indeed violate parole. In Pennsylvania, we have a recidivism rate over a three-year period of about 46 percent, but we know during that 100 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 first year is the highest rate of recidivism. So we at the Parole Board are working very hard to dedicate particular resources and focus of attention over the coming year to offenders as they get out. We also use a risk assessment. One of the other panelists talked about risk assessment. We use a nationally recognized risk assessment called the Level of Service Inventory. The acronym is LSIR. And that assessment allows us to scientifically identify those factors of parolees that identify them as particularly high risk. In using our parole resources -- and we have about 118 agents, is our complement here in Philadelphia -- we want to use those agents and resources wisely. And "wisely" means that those offenders who score the highest risk on the assessment have the most intense level of supervision. We have more frequent contacts with them, both at work and home; and we have 101 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 probably more elongated periods of electronic monitoring, imposition of curfew, and so forth. Those offenders who are lower risk, of course, while we still continue to see them and provide the necessary support, they do not require the same level of contact and supervision. Philadelphia has 31 percent of our total parolee population. We have used a workload analysis to determine the number of agents that we need across the Commonwealth. The workload analysis is a state-of-the-art workload analysis. We ensure that we have an adequate number of agents to supervise our population. And we do an excellent job. I think that Pennsylvania can be proud -- and I do say this, I have worked in another state, in another state's parole system, and am familiar with a number of state's parole systems -- Pennsylvania agents provide very safe and very sound day-to-day contact and supervision of our parole 102 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 population. And, for that, we should be very grateful and very proud. I will say that, as I talk about parole here in Philadelphia, I am from Harrisburg. And, so, I represent the state level. What I want you to know here -- and with me in the audience are several key members of our parole staff. We have our Board member, Mike Green, who is a resident of the Philadelphia area and has been very active in working with his church and with the community to address issues of local community violence. So not only is he professionally responsible for parole, he is personally engaged as a citizen of Philadelphia. I also have with me Tom Costa, who is our regional director, and our district director, Ed Jones, also are residents of Philadelphia. John Tuttle and I are both from Harrisburg. And while we work very closely with Philadelphia, our key staff are from this 103 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 location and have a very large personal investment in keeping Philadelphia safe. Thank you.

Thank you very much. Very informative testimony. Is someone here from the Fraternal Order of Police? Mr. Flores, University of Pennsylvania? I mean, University of Pennsylvania, Department of Public Safety.

Good afternoon, Councilwoman. My name is Mark Dorsey, I am the Chief of Police at the University of Pennsylvania. And I would like to thank you very much for inviting us to participate in this very important session. I would like to acknowledge, first of all, our support for the Blueprint For A Safer Philadelphia and to acknowledge publicly our partnership with Police Commissioner Johnson and our belief in our shared mission in making a major impact within our neighborhoods and our communities. Unfortunately, the University City 104 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 area also has experienced an up-tick in violence in the past year. And it carried over to the early beginning of this year, with a shooting of one of our students from a stray bullet that was from an altercation in the immediate vicinity. The University immediately responded and has always been a strong supporter of the Division of Public Safety. But it came back to us in the division and said, look, we have to make a more concentrated effort not only within the University environment but, very importantly, within our West Philadelphia community. We have a strong community outreach; but our mandate was to increase it, to look for ways that we can address some of the neighborhood situations and some of the ways we at the University of Pennsylvania can contribute. So we strengthened our partnership with PAL, with the Police Athletic League, of which we are a very strong advocate, and have assigned police officers at a particular PAL 105 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 on Woodland Avenue to get the students more actively involved in teaching and educating. We believe very much in the sports and athletics, but we wanted to be able to show and experience with many of the kids some of the values of arts and culture and music. We also have been mandated to increase our security and police presence. And for that I am thankful to the University for giving me a financial contribution to be able to increase the impact that we have here. But a very strong part of that mandate was exactly what the Blueprint is for the safer Philadelphia; is a community outreach, making an impact in our neighborhoods. And that's what we are doing with our police officers. Our officers now are strengthening our bonds with the community. We have reached well into the neighborhoods. Our boundary lines for patrol runs from the river to 43rd Street, from Market to Baltimore, and up around Presbyterian Hospital. So I have assigned specific officers 106 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 that have a regular beat in those areas to get to know all of the commercial establishments, to get to know our children, the kids that congregate in our area, to participate in various athletic institutions to be able to show ways that the University of Pennsylvania can help them in their goals and desires that they have in life. So I would like to once again thank you for inviting the University of Pennsylvania and to thank especially the Police Commissioner, because very much it is a true partnership. And I believe by working together that we are not only going to address these issues, but we are going to conquer the problem that's plaguing not only our area, but the entire city. Thank you, ma'am.

Thank you very much. Good afternoon.

Good morning. My name is Karem Lewis. I am Director of Community and Government Affairs for the 107 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 Philadelphia Anti-Drug/Anti-Violence Network. On behalf of our Executive Director, Darryl Coates -- please excuse him, he could not be here today -- I have come here to speak on his behalf.

Thank you for coming.

We support the Mayor's Blueprint For A Safer Philadelphia. Recognizing the epidemic of senseless gun violence has made almost every neighborhood in the City of Philadelphia a battlefield, PAAN is about to launch a new and provocative project targeting police districts in which crime rates reflect the highest levels of crime, violent crime. The program is being called the Community Engagement and Organization Program. The program targets high-crime neighborhoods to intensively concentrate on violence-reduction strategies that harness the collective energies of residents, communities, and faith-based agencies and institutions, elected and public officials, business owners, 108 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 schools, police, et cetera, for concerted and sustained efforts that are prevention tools and do not diminish after a crisis incident. Too often in our communities we react after a violence, but there is no 7 organizing strategies to sustain that community. The first stage of this CEO Program will begin next month with neighborhood town meetings. The meetings will introduce PAAN's partnership with the neighborhood that will bring ongoing information and resources. The initial meeting will focus on the following: Neighborhood crime data, neighborhood assess to reduce violence, solutions, solicitation to suggestions to stop the violence, PAAN's role to help communities. PAAN has street workers servicing the 12th, 19th, 24th, and 25th Police Districts as part of the city's Youth Violence Reduction Partnership, YVRP. The YVRP provides intense monitoring and referral of youth and young adults 14 to 24 years old on probation in target police 109 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 districts. Since the advent of this program in 1999 in the 24th Police District, PAAN has been involved in the case management of over 1,500 high-risk youth. The project's successful managing of troubled youth has led to the expansion to four additional police districts. Conversely, there is no organized community prevention efforts in these same areas. As part of the Mayor's new anti-violence program, Operation SAFER Streets, the Adolescence Violence Reduction Partnership, AVRP, has been formed. This program is geared for troubled adolescents 10 to 16 years of age. PAAN will employ street outreach workers in the 12th Police District. So we look forward to continuing to have engagements in the community, for them to become more active and participate more heartily in solving the issues of violence in their communities. And we, as we have always, look 110 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 forward to working and just being part of a partnership with all those stakeholders in those communities. We would like to thank you for this opportunity to speak in front of you.

Thank you very much. We appreciate all the work that the groups are doing. And I am glad to see that you are working with the Youth Violence Reduction Partnership in those districts. And PAAN has a history of being involved in the community. And we miss you up in the Northwest, too.

We would certainly like to be there in the Northwest. And we continue to do some things in the Northwest. In every area of the city we are doing some things.

Thank you very much. To Ms. McVey, I enjoyed your testimony. Our next panel is going to be our Health Commissioner from the state, as well as the Deputy Commissioner from the city, and our Director of Community Behavioral Health, when 111 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 you talked about the mental issues that are experienced by some of the parolees. So I hope you can listen to their testimony. I have many questions. But the time is moving on, and these people have been here a long day. And we may have to call you back again to have further discussion about what you are doing. We certainly appreciate all of you coming out to testify. Thank you all very much for coming. Commissioner, we appreciate your help. And to the Commissioner, I do support what you say all the time. You know, crime is a police issue, but it is a societal issue. We have problems of a social nature that have to be dealt with, and you can't do it all. But we appreciate all that you do and you being out in the community. And it is just wonderful to see all the collaboration here. I think the Blueprint is serving to be the blueprint for all of us to get involved to have a long-term solution to this issue, at least to address part of it. So, we want to 112 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 thank you. COMMISSIONER JOHNSON: Thank you very much.

The next panel we will have, Dr. Calvin Johnson, Commissioner, Department of Public Health, State of Pennsylvania; Dr. Lawrence Robinson of the city's Health Department; and Dr. Arthur Evans of Department of Behavioral Health.

Good afternoon. We are going to start with Calvin Johnson, Dr. Calvin Johnson, Dr. Arthur Evans, and Dr. Lawrence Robinson. And just pull the mike up, identify yourself, and proceed with your testimony. Thank you.

Good afternoon. I am Dr. Calvin Johnson, Secretary of Health for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. I want to thank Chairwoman Tasco and you, Chairwoman Reed Miller, and the Committee of Public Health and Human Services and Public Safety for pulling this hearing together. 113 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 I think what we have seen already today is a little bit about what I am going to talk about, in terms of the public health focus of this issue of violence, and particularly gun violence and interpersonal violence. And "public health" is a term that's been used throughout the morning. And I think that indicates very clearly that we have come a long way from where we were not that long ago, when interpersonal violence and firearm violence was looked at exclusively as a criminal justice issue. Which is, truthfully, an unfair burden to put on our colleagues in criminal justice and the criminal justice system. The focus of my comments today are going to be briefly on three areas. One is to talk about briefly the need to actively and intentionally apply public health strategies as adjuncts and as additions to the current and existing violence-reduction efforts; also, to talk a little bit about how that is actually beginning in Pennsylvania, and here 114 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 in Philadelphia in specific; and, thirdly, to talk briefly about what is needed in the future, talking about long-term, in order to decrease violence, and, again, gun violence in particular. You may have heard me use the term "epidemic" before in describing gun violence. And I used that term for two reasons. One, to help focus and bring attention on an issue that, in many ways and in many times, moves to the back burner when we are talking about priorities and policies because it disproportionately appears to affect those who traditionally don't have an active voice, the young, the poor, and some racial and ethnic minorities. But I also use that term to point us towards a strategy, a real strategy, that has proven effectiveness in fixing public health and health problems, and that is the public health approach. And the public health approach, essentially, is the kind of approach that you use when we talk about any kind of disease or 115 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 disease outbreak that exists. And that's when I talk about proven effectiveness in containing disease, in stopping the spread, and preventing future disease. The approach is very much applicable to this issue of violence. And it involves the gathering of information, understanding all the conditions and the circumstances around violence and the perpetration of violence so that we understand exactly what the environment is and the circumstances are that have led to what is ultimately a significantly injurious act or a fatal act. And, that is, the firing of a gun at another person. We also talk about in the public health approach interrupting, interrupting the cycle. And, again, if it is an infectious disease, we stop the spread of the disease. No different when we need to talk about violence and stopping the immediate spread. When we see that there are regular reports of youth dying in Pennsylvania and in Philadelphia from violence, we need to put 116 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 forward immediate approaches. But we also need to think about the long-term spread and stopping the recurrence. Both are done through specific targeted interventions and targeted policies that are based on the information that we gather and understand about violence. And, quite frankly, injury and gun violence are things that we really don't have a very good understanding about. We understand a lot more about homicides from gun violence, but we don't understand as much about injury from gun violence.

And it is the injury from gun violence that sometimes is a setup for a further progression of violence, whether it is retaliatory violence or continuation or expanding of that initial violent strike. But at the foundation and the core of all of this is prevention. And you heard Dr. Prothrow-Stith talk about prevention, and you have heard through MEE Productions' efforts how prevention, the primary, 117 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 secondary, and tertiary prevention have been recharacterized of sorts by the young people who are out there experiencing this every day. And, so, it is the foundation of the public health approach is the concept of prevention. And that is the fact that youth violence, that violence in general, most forms of violence, and gun violence in many instances, is 100 percent preventable. And that gets at the issue of dealing with the root causes. It is more than just going on the surface and responding to the incident itself, the infraction that it causes, the breaking of the law that it causes. But it gets to the root causes. What are the circumstances, the underlying circumstances, that have led, again, to that final act. If we talk about the public health approach, it may be helpful to use the words of David Hemenway, who is a noted researcher and Professor at Harvard and head of their Injury Control Center in the Harvard Youth 118 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 Violence Prevention Center, and a colleague of Dr. Prothrow-Stith's. And he talks about, for most of the 20th Century, how gun assaults have been seen almost exclusively as a criminal justice problem. But since the mid 1980s, it has increasingly become recognized -- public health approach, that it is -- as the most promising approach to reducing firearms is to emphasize prevention; focusing on community, using a broad array of policies, and bringing together diverse interest groups to have a very proactive rather than a reactive involvement in this. And I think that's demonstrated very clearly here today by the multitude of groups and disciplines that you have brought together who are focused on reducing youth violence. I want to talk to you just briefly about how some of that, some of those efforts, are coming to fruition here in Pennsylvania, and here in Philadelphia in particular. And it is through the Blueprint For 119 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 A Safer Philadelphia, some of the Governor's direct efforts. When I have been in this room 5 before, I have talked about the Pennsylvania Injury Reporting and Intervention System, known as PIRIS. This is something that is a part of the Blueprint For A Safer Philadelphia. And what it is, a demonstration of that public health approach in action in addressing violence. What this system is, this Injury Reporting and Intervention System is, is a hospital-based system, a hospital-emergency-department-based system, that uses as a sentinel event a triggering event, if you will, the appearance of a gunshot-wound victim and the admission of a gunshot-wound victim into a hospital emergency department. From that, a system is triggered that will gather information about that individual and the circumstances of that incident. 120 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 And we will also then be able to add to that, again, lack of understanding we have about some of the detailed circumstances that surround these gun-violence incidents, because the story is not always the same. What's significant about this is the intervention component. So this is more than just an information-gathering system for the sake of gathering information. But what it does is, use that information to specifically identify and target real interventions to break that cycle.

Some of the other speakers have talked about the opportunity that presents itself when someone is a victim of a gunshot-wound injury; an opportunity to perhaps intervene and change the course and direction so that retaliation is not a part of the plan going forward. So that an expansion or escalating of violence and injury is not a part of the plan going forward, but identifying what the needs may be. And, again, the needs may be varied. 121 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 There may be mental health needs that are involved there. There may be drug and alcohol use and abuse issues that are at hand and play a role in the violence. There may be the opportunity or lack of opportunities that come from an ability to get jobs or lack of educational opportunities that may have played some role in leading to the point where that individual is a gunshot-wound victim in one of our hospital emergency departments. And, so, this system is designed to identify that individual, identify the needs, and be able to target those kinds of specific interventions to that individual and to those who are connected to that individual. For example, the siblings of that individual, younger siblings who may not have had any encounter whatsoever with the criminal justice system at this point, but here is an opportunity to institute that primary prevention, intervening before an incident ever happens.

Could you just 122 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 say who does that? I hate to interrupt your testimony, but I am interested and curious who does the follow-through? What system is in place, and who operates that system?

Sure. This system actually is in its pilot stages. And it is being piloted here in Philadelphia at three institutions; at Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Temple University Hospital, and at Albert Einstein Hospital. These three institutions were chosen because 38 percent, 38 almost 39 percent, of the state's firearm injuries come through these hospitals' emergency departments and their trauma systems. And, so, we have an opportunity, through these hospitals, starting with these three hospitals, to capture a significant portion of the gunshot-wound injuries in Philadelphia and, quite frankly, in the state, as well. And there are a number of other partners who are a part of this, including the Firearm and Injury Center at Penn, and 123 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 Philadelphia Health Management Corporation, as partners helping to manage the collection of data and the identification and the provision of services. Also very much involved is the Philadelphia Department of Public Health and other Philadelphia agencies, including the Department of Human Services. So this is, again, an opportunity and an example of a multi-disciplinary effort and group coming together to focus on real proven activities and efforts to reduce youth violence. The type of interventions that will come with this are interventions that are in the category of best practices or evidence based, those that have been used in other settings and scientifically proven to have a positive effect. There also will be a real evaluation component so that we are tracking this as we go along and looking at what kind of difference, in fact, we're making. So that we can even institute and attempt new and varied 124 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 methods of intervening here in Philadelphia, so that we are not stifling creativity that can come out of the expertise that exists here in Philadelphia, and in Pennsylvania in the larger context. There have also been a number of other efforts that are funded now in this year, coming out of the Governor's Commission on Gun Violence. And they include an Illegal Gun Task Force that is working within the Philadelphia Police Department and is funded through the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, a state agency. It also includes the expansion of Pennsylvania State Police Operation Trigger Lock, so focusing on the safe handling of firearms and understanding how best to use and store firearms. It includes funding of the School District's Parent Involvement Program. Because, as was mentioned earlier, that the parental involvement is a significant component and role in this. This doesn't 125 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 begin and end with just the individual. And, as I mentioned earlier, the public health approach takes into account the community aspect of it. And that community is not just neighborhoods or cities, but is the family community and the extended family and friend community, as well. There has also been funding specifically for planning, grants to cities with higher homicide rates, as well. And, so, there have been a number of efforts going forward. And included in this year's budget proposal are the addition of 90 State Troopers to increase the ranks of Pennsylvania State Police to its highest numbers ever. And, so, there again are examples of multi-disciplinary efforts to focus around this issue. Lastly, I just want to say a word briefly about the idea of what it takes in this longer term vision of reducing gun violence and violence injury. And, as you know the Blueprint is a 126 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 ten-year plan, a ten-year strategy, which is something that means that there is thought, there is planning, and there is vision that goes into that. This is something that must be taken up for the long haul. And, so, it is commitment that's needed and really it is maintenance that's needed.

And what I mean by that is, one, that sustained attention to this issue is needed. The issue of violence and youth violence and gun violence cannot be allowed to slip off the radar screen onto the back burner. And it takes people in positions like you in City Council and other leadership positions to keep this issue at the forefront of people's minds. And, so, I am very happy to have this opportunity to be here today to contribute to that. It also means that support is needed for this. Support is needed in terms of making sure that those who are stepping out 127 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 there, both at the -- at every level, the community level, the local government level, the state and federal government level, have that kind of understanding and support that surrounds it. Vocal support and other support are absolutely crucial. And, thirdly, resources are absolutely essential, as well. And certainly fiscal resources, financial resources, are incredibly important. But we can't think of limiting it to that just, as well. Resources that include ability to tap on partners who can provide the type of information, factual information, that is necessary; the proven studies that have intervened in other places across this successful interventions in other places across this country that can be imported here to apply to Philadelphia. So, a knowledge of what is taking place out there. Those kinds of resources, in addition to the financial resources, are absolutely essential in being able to truly make a difference in youth violence, violent 128 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 injury, and gun violence in Pennsylvania and here in Philadelphia. I think we are off to much more than a good start. I think we are well on our way. But, again, it takes the continued attention, support, and resources to do that. Thank you.

Thank you very much. And we do need to look at the priorities in our budget in order to sustain the programs that -- not only this, but other offerings that have come forth. Councilwoman Blackwell and Councilwoman Donna Reed Miller had hearings last Thursday in Council on the whole issue of gun violence. There are many organizations. We have Mothers in Charge, and some of the other groups, that are going to talk this afternoon about what they're doing. But it is all part of a total overall collaborative to make sure that we stop the violence. But we do need the resources. And 129 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 those of us who have to look at how we spend our city dollars have to look at those priorities, what is a priority in terms of what we spend our money for. So we thank you for coming down, Commissioner. We are real proud of you. We know that you are one of the few African-American Health Commissioners in this country. You are doing a fine job. And we will be looking to you to also help us as we move forward in trying to address the whole issue of violence in Philadelphia. And I am just so proud of all of the elected officials who are taking some action in their district, in their area, whatever form. There is never enough. Too few people to speak out and speak up on what needs to be done. And we just have to come together to figure out how we get the money to make it all happen. But, thank you for coming down. We appreciate it. 130 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 Commissioner, could I ask Dr. Evans to go next. Thank you. This is Dr. Arthur Evans. Would you like to introduce yourself.

Sure. Good morning, Councilwoman Tasco, Councilwoman Blackwell. I am Dr. Arthur Evans, Director of the Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health and Mental Retardation Services. And I am pleased to present testimony on the Blueprint For A Safer Philadelphia. Given the hour and the lateness of the hour, I am going to keep my comments very brief. You have my complete testimony

Which will be entered into the record. So any summaries is fine, but we will submit the complete testimonies for the record.

Thank you.

And we also want to say, let me interrupt, that we are being broadcast by WRD, Cody Anderson and Kenny Gamble. They are so much into this issue that they called and asked could they 131 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 broadcast this hearing. And we thank them for opening up their airways so that the public could hear your discussion and the discussion of all the panelists who have participated. And I do believe that we are being televised on our local station, Channel 64.

Thank you. While I am going to focus on three areas in my brief comments, I want to emphasize something that's been alluded to in all of the comments before. Whenever I have gone out and been in community forums that have talked about violence, it is probably within two to three minutes that the issue of behavioral health will come up. And, so, in the public's mind there is a connection between substance abuse and violence. There is a connection between mental health problems and violence. And, so, we understand that the variety of services that we provide really go to help reduce the likelihood of violence, it goes to reduce the impact violence has had on 132 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 people in our community. We will serve this year over 100,000 people, and probably about 30,000 of those are children in this community. And the point I want to make is that we see our services being very helpful both in terms of those who are perpetrators, those who might perpetrate violence, but also in terms of those people who are victims. We know that one of the major issues that we face in our community is the issue of trauma and the impact that that trauma has, particularly when it goes untreated. " Because we know that if we can get to that trauma early on, particularly in children, that it can prevent a lot of other kinds of issues that people might experience. I want to focus on three other things specifically related to the Blueprint. One of them is the Youth Violence Reduction Partnership and the relationship that we have 133 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 with that. That's a relationship that we have had since its inception. And you heard in previous testimony that one of the things that happens in that program is that people are identified in terms of their substance-abuse needs. We have a Intensive Forensic Recovery Clinical Evaluation Unit that does assessments both in the community, at the Youth Child Study Center, at the Youth Study Center, and at the Philadelphia Prison System, to evaluate people and to connect them to the appropriate kind of treatment and to make sure that those services are paid for. It is a very important service that is linked to that initiative. Another major initiative that we are undertaking is working with the city's faith community. One of the things that we have recognized in our field is that we can't treat people in isolation. So we can't treat people and then return them to a community that can't 134 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 support them in your long-term recovery, whether it is mental illness or whether it is recovery from addiction. And, so, we are working very actively with the city's faith community to form a partnership that is mutually beneficial. It is beneficial to us because people are going back into communities where, first of all, people understand the issues that they are dealing with. It is beneficial to members of the faith community because we often hear them say to us, "We would like to help people, but we don't always know how to connect people when we have questions. " And they understand the limits that they have in terms of being able to respond to behavioral health issues. And, so, we have gotten a tremendous response from the city's faith community, who want to partner with us around these issues. And we are doing a number of things, including having community forums. And we 135 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 are -- I should mention that we are ecumenical. We have been to a Synagogue, we have been to a Mosque, and we have been to a Church. And, so, all of those communities have opened their arms and said that this is a partnership that we need to have. In addition to that, we are doing some focus groups who asked specifically, what are the issues and what are the resources that we can bring to bear to help you in ministering to your congregations and the people in your community.

And then, finally, we are establishing a task force that will begin to take those suggestions, those recommendations, and begin to implement them. And that's a task force that will be combined with both our staff and members of the faith community. One of the outgrowths of the conversations that we have had already is that we are going to have a major conference in May of this year, May 9, where we are going to have members of the behavioral health 136 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 community and the faith community come together, provide information that will be mutually beneficial. The last thing that I will mention is the establishment of a Blue Ribbon commission on children's behavioral health that was done by Mayor Street. And the first meeting, the first official meeting, will be next week, February 24. This is a very seminal event in the life of the city. The Mayor appointed just an outstanding group of citizens that include, actually, Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown, we have academics, we have family members, we have providers, we have one judge, we have the school district; a wide variety of people who understand that children's mental health, their needs around substance abuse have reached a critical proportion in our city and that we have to come together to figure out a community strategy that we all have bought into. And, so, the amount of energy and excitement around this is quite heartening. 137 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 We had a conference last week in which we brought experts from around the country. And those folks, along with the commission and other local experts, have begun to forge the agenda over the next six months that the commission will use to evaluate and explore this issue. The commission will come back with a report at the end of six months, towards the end of the year, that will lay out both a framework for how we organize the children's behavioral health system, and also a set of priorities that, again, we -- the goal is to have consensus around. And, so, I think that will put Philadelphia really on the cutting edge and on the forefront of attending to children's needs, their mental-health needs. And, so, obviously that is very much connected to this issue of violence, the impact that it has on our children, and it also contributes to how we can begin to intervene early so that children don't get into violent behavior. 138 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 So, those are my comments. We stand ready to help and support this initiative and any other initiatives that Council has in terms of addressing this issue. Thank you.

Thank you very much, and thank you for your outreach. I know you are doing a great job to be more proactive if your field, and we appreciate your leadership. Dr. Robinson.

Good afternoon, Councilwoman Tasco, Councilwoman Blackwell, Councilwoman Miller. I am Dr. Lawrence Robinson, Deputy Health Commissioner. I am speaking on behalf of the Acting Commissioner, Dr. Joanne Godley. Thank you for the opportunity to offer testimony on the public health aspects of youth violence in Philadelphia. The same factors associated with violence are also associated with other diseases. Where you see high rates of homicides, you also find high rates of HIV, 139 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 AIDS, cancer, infant mortality, heart disease, diabetes, substance abuse, and lower socio-economic indicators. The same strategies that impact disease and reduce them can also be used to reduce deprevalence and incidents of violence in our communities. You have heard about the three-pronged approach, and we believe in that also; prevention, intervention, and suppression. Many of us in the public health field believe that the approach to effectively reducing youth violence is one that considers multiple concurrently applied strategies and target a variety of risk factors observed in individuals and families and their schools and communities The public health approach is comprised of several key components that include identification of the nature of the specific problem through workable surveillance systems from morbidity and mortality associated with interpersonal violence, 140 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 identification of those persons or entities that are at risk for violence-related events, application of case-control methods to the exploration of modified risk factors for victims and perpetrators, and institution of ongoing evaluation of the control methods that have been established. The main component of this is prevention. The model is, obviously, not a quick fix that any one entity can expect to successfully put into place; but, rather, it is an approach that must be supported by the government, by community leaders, by social service agencies, teachers, parents, extended family members, peers, behavioral and medical health providers, and the business community. It is also documented that the risk factors for violence are varied, there is many different ones. But one thing is very clear, that youth who are victims of weapon-related injuries are at high risk for repeat injury and/or death or from becoming perpetrators of violent acts themselves. 141 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 You know, it is interesting, when I did some additional research on this, that the problem is actually much larger than we look at here. Because we were only looking at homicides. But when I looked at the statistics in terms of gun-related deaths, I found that there were 1,794 gunshot injuries in Philadelphia in 2005. 194 of them were between and 12 years of age, and 700 were between 18 and 24. 13 So you can see between 14 and 24 is where most 14 of these injuries are taking place. 15 Now, the really remarkable thing 16 about what's happening here in Philadelphia is 17 that there really are not more homicides, and the reason why is because we have such a good medical system. We have got very good tertiary-care units and hospitals and ambulances that transport people very rapidly. And it is because of this that that number has been kept down to 380. And I would venture to say that, if 142 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 we were in some other area, this number of homicides would be much greater than the 380 that we see. So you can see, we are really looking at the tip of the iceberg. The identification of youth who are at risk for violence and the application of early-intervention techniques are two functions that fall within the public health model of addressing violence. You have heard the Secretary of Health talk about the PIRIS program. And this is a program that we are working in conjunction with the State Health Department.

A very important thing, because this will give us the surveillance information that we need in order to make appropriate decisions. I always say, you have to have good information in order to make good decisions. Currently the Pennsylvania Injury Reporting and Intervention System, PIRIS, is being put into place to report information on weapons, injuries from three trauma centers in Philadelphia. And you heard them mentioned; the University of Pennsylvania, Einstein, and 143 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 Temple. This approach focuses on eliminating the problems before more negative consequences can take place. It has a strong surveillance and intervention component, which was a question you asked, with emphasis on population-based activities to increase awareness of the effects of firearm-related injuries among the target population. Youth who require social service intervention will be referred through this program to the Youth Violence Reduction Program and the Adolescent Violence Reduction Program. The Department of Health and Human Services will assist in the coordination of social service referrals, and the ongoing surveillance will provide an opportunity to evaluate the success of the social service interventions. I believe this pilot and eventual expansion of this program to include other participating trauma centers and emergency 144 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 departments will be of significant value to those city agencies involved in violence-reduction efforts and the overall strategy to break the cycle of interpersonal violence in Philadelphia. Thank you for the opportunity.

Thank you very much. You always provide us some good information, and we appreciate it. Thank you all very much for coming and for your informative testimony. We will be in touch with you, because we are going to take this show on the road. Thank you. Our next panel will be Men United For a Better Philadelphia, Mothers in Charge, Mothers United Through Tragedy, Mantua Against Drugs, Michael Gibbs, Guardian Angels of Philadelphia. Good afternoon, Mr. Aziz. How are you?

Good.

Thank you for coming out. Thank all of you for coming out.

Good afternoon. 145 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 My name is Sherri Ryan, Outreach Coordinator for Mothers in Charge. Mothers in Charge, as you know, is a group of mothers, grandmothers, and aunts who have lost their children to the senseless killings in the City of Philadelphia and vicinity. We are here today to ask for the support of the Blueprint For A Safer Philadelphia. We feel that this is a very important initiative to help save the lives of the children of Philadelphia. We feel that early intervention is very important. I worked in the school, Kinsey School, and I worked with first and second graders. And it is a devastating experience to see that the young people have thoughts of violence at that very early age. So, early invention is very important concerning that. Dr. Johnson and Dr. Robinson said some very profound statements concerning the wounds of guns, because most of the mothers' sons have been killed by guns. My son was 146 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 killed by a Tech-9, so I was devastated when he made that statement. But I already know that firsthand, that situation. Finally, we, the Mothers in Charge, live every day with the pain of losing our children. We feel that this Blueprint is a help. And anything that you all can do in the Council to bring this to a close, we appreciate it. Ten years is a long time, but we feel that it would be a healthy start. And work it out, and we feel it would be a help to us. We believe that the Blueprint For A Better Philadelphia is major in saving the lives of our future, and the future of our children. Thank you.

Thank you very much. You know, as someone said earlier, there is no quick fix. And we are all looking for the magic fix, but it does take time. But because so many people are so involved and 147 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 committed to erasing violence, it will take time. And we appreciate all of the groups and organizations that are out there working to make this Blueprint successful.

I appreciate that. I don't have anything but time, because my son was killed in 1990. So I have been on this battle for a long time. So I will continue to stay on this battlefield until, hopefully, we will get the numbers down to zero.

Thank you. And I agree with you, it does begin at a very early age. Yes. Next.

Good afternoon, co-Chairwoman Tasco, and good afternoon, Councilwoman Blackwell. My name is Mark Harrell, I am Director of Men United For a Better Philadelphia, speaking on behalf of the organization along with my co-chair here. And we are fortunate, in that we 148 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 have had an opportunity to work with the Blueprint in the North Philadelphia area, as was stated, in partnership with Mothers in Charge and the Mt. Airy Church of God and Christ, in providing safety services and intervention and prevention services for youth between the grades of K through 5, and Kinsey and Dick Elementary schools and the Mt. Airy Church of God and Christ after-school programs. And as was stated earlier, it is appalling to see young people with the knowledge of violence that they have, and the violence that they have witnessed at such an early age at life. The Blueprint is set up in ways where we will be able to provide services to help curtail some of those incidents and help reduce, hopefully, the amount of the impact that violence has on younger children throughout the City of Philadelphia. We are also fortunate in that the Men United For a Better Philadelphia will be serving as the AVRP, Adolescent Violence 149 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 Reduction Program partner, in the 25th District, providing services to boys who have been identified at risk between the ages of 5 and 15. 6 So in addition to our constant 7 vigilance on the streets of Philadelphia 8 trying to turn the lives around of young men 9 and young woman, whoever they may be who we 10 engage on these streets, we are going to be able to expand our services in terms of helping to reduce violence and homicides in the City of Philadelphia. We think that the Blueprint is, again, is a start. And by engaging community-based elements in terms of this prevention, Men United For a Better Philadelphia is fortunate that we are able to go out onto the streets. And we are there constantly throughout the City of Philadelphia, but even more so as a part of an organized effort, such as the Blueprint, we think that this partnership will enable us and the other partners to really become more effective in 150 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 realizing our mission, which is simply to help reduce violence and homicides in the City of Philadelphia. So through our participation in the Blueprint, which is the YVRP, Youth Violence Intervention Project, and the AVRP, we think that collectively and over the span of the project we will see a difference in the numbers. As Dr. Robinson mentioned earlier, you know, we focus on the fact that, for example, last year there were 380 homicides, as compared to 1,749 shootings. We have averaged to hundred 16 shootings over the past five years in the City 17 of Philadelphia. The proliferation of guns on the streets of Philadelphia is a key issue. And any legislation that supports that, like Blueprint or any of the legislation that our current legislators have pending, we will support. And the fact that the majority of the people in the City of Philadelphia voted for a referendum to have Philadelphia's City 151 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 Council and Philadelphia representatives legislate its own gun laws right here in the City of Philadelphia. So we stand behind anything that's going to help get the guns off the street of Philadelphia and anything that's going to work towards getting young people to understand that they can make a difference, no matter how young they are. And if we have to start K through 5, then we will start K through 5. But at no 13 age, since violence is a learned behavior, can you say that you can't be unlearned. And Men United will be there throughout the process to make sure that we are part of the solution, as opposed to the part of the problem. Thank you for having our testimony before you.

Thank you very much. Malik.

Good afternoon, Councilwoman Blackwell. 152 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 I don't have no prepared statement today. I guess I am here more so -- I am going to tell you the truth. I really wasn't going to come out in the snow today. Because when I looked outside and I saw that my vehicle was completely covered, I said -- but, you know, since I know this is important, and the mission that we are all on is important. I am disturbed. Last night I had the opportunity to watch National Geographic, and they were talking about a street gang called MS-13. MS-13 has written up on walls in Philadelphia. What concerns me is that a lot -- I mean, we have been here before about violence. Because I remember in the early '70s, when I was part of a gang and I was part of the problem, the violence in the City of Philadelphia, there was a lot of people that worked with us to try to stem the tide to get us out of the violence. And these were people that were credible people in our community. And we made our transitions on to 153 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 whatever we was doing, and now to see this come back around. And Dr. Robinson, what he said about the hospitals, I just can't imagine a gang situation in Philadelphia starting back up again, with the availability of guns, weapons, this day. And that threat is upon us, if we don't be in a preventive mood. Because of the changing demographics, of different cultures moving into our city, we are starting to see it on a larger scale. Not just in the neighborhood, but in the schools; on the east of Broad, also down in Southwest Philly and other neighborhoods. Now, you know, I used to -- a lot of times people would say that somebody that worked with gangs, they need to -- they have to have a gang war to work with gangs. It is the same thing with violence. I mean, I have been listening to WRD all the time. And I guess I am biased, because I am on the WRD station. But it seemed like to me a lot of people really don't 154 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 understand what's going on in these streets. They really don't understand the magnitude and the level of violence that's in these streets. And to really turn something around, we got to have a plan of action. Like, ten years is a long time. I mean, we got lives going to be lost before ten years. But I know that the response I get from people coming out of prison, repeat offenders, so to say, they are still courting the cycle of crime. That, not given an alternative, where are they going to go but back to where they left? And I know that the honesty that a lot of these people have coming out, just recently the last three months, a lot of older guys that been in jail, been in there for 19 years and stuff, a lot of them have came back 20 into the City of Philadelphia, and they want to do something about the violence. I mean, I think that -- and looking across the country, even in Chicago, where they have the former gang members going back into the gang neighborhoods, trying to bring 155 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 peace and understanding and change of mindset to young people about how they can make their neighborhood a better place to live and that the violence is senseless because they are killing each other. And that the only way that you are going to change something is that you have to first stop the violence, put the guns down and start dialoguing and communicating. I think that any efforts that's made, you have to really take a serious look at the people that really want to help, that really can relate back into the neighborhoods to these young people; because the neighborhood is where they came from, and they want to come back. They can either come back positive or they can come back in the community negative. And either way, they are going to impact them young people. And we want them to impact them on the positive note. So there are things that can be set up that we are more than willing to try to help with.

I don't have no problem with going 156 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 back in the neighborhood where I came from and going up on the corner. That was the whole concept of Men United For a Better Philadelphia when it was formed; that, to go back to the corner to offer the young people that standing around doing anything, to give something and give them alternatives. And, of course, that takes resources. So I definitely welcome the Blueprint and the vision of State Representative Dwight Evans, and, of course, yourself, Councilwoman and Councilwoman Blackwell and Miller. Because we need to make some drastic changes. And we need to do them now. So any ideas, of course, that we have, we will be willing to share them. But I would hope that everybody would take our ideas serious. When I say that I want to take somebody that did years for a murder, and 24 he is out on parole, and I want to take him 25 out with me back in the neighborhood to talk 157 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 to his young boys about changing their mindset, and that that's a feasible and a doable idea, and it is not nothing to be joked at and laughed at. This is serious. We are in a war in this City of Philadelphia, as well as across the country. And only way, we are going to have to think out of the box on how to change this. Because in the box it is just the same thing over and over again. So if we go out the box, we can make some changes.

Thank you very much for your comments. We know that you have been out there on the street for a long time working with young people, and we appreciate your efforts. We just built, we call it, the Taj Mahal of recreation facilities up in Northwest at Pickering and Gowen. One of the problems we have is, we do not have enough males to help run programs for the young people up there. I mean, we need adults. We can find women, but we need men 158 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 to serve as role models to work with the young people in that facility. There is space. So, you know, I think that your idea is doable, and we should talk about how you incorporate those throughout the city.

Just have one more comment. The legislator in Harrisburg, I mean, they are trying to pass a bill to take the vote from people that's on probation and parole. When people come out of prison, anything they can do that can enhance their civil -- their citizenship, so to say, and trying to make a change in their lives, and to tell them that they can't participate in an election process, that's just telling them that they are not a citizen. That's telling them that they are still being punished after the fact of them coming out of prison. So I think that, you know, I know this City Council here is not in favor of that. But -- and I know some of the other legislators in Harrisburg, too, are not in 159 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 favor this. But this is an attempt to cause us more problems on the public safety issue here in the City of Philadelphia by not granting a person an opportunity for a second chance, even at the polls.

One of the things that, you see, the purpose behind that is because the majority of the young men, women, in prison are African-Americans. The majority of those people who would register to vote would be Democrats. So it is a political issue to cut down on the number of people who are voting and to control the elections. I think it is terrible. I think the whole issue of trying to have photo ID to register to vote is another way to discourage people and dissuade them from participating in the political process. What we have to do -- and some of us have already done it -- is, let our voices be heard. There is nothing wrong with you all protesting to the members of the legislature. 160 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 And you have to tie it in. Tie it in with what they do to people to demoralize them. You know, what are the unintended consequences. First, I think it is a violation of their civil rights to do that. But the other thing is, people act in a vacuum; and they don't understand that their actions and behavior will have ripple effect on a person in other ways. And if you see that, and you know that, you need to let them know. I write them all the time. I always have a letter going to the legislature about something, even though I am a Council person. They may not listen to me, but at least know how I feel about it and give them some -- another perspective. Because they are not here. They are mostly in the outlying communities of Pennsylvania. They have some of the same problems, but they are not to the magnitude that we have them here. So it is very important that not only do you talk to us, but that you talk to 161 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 the other 203 people in the House, and there are 50 in the Senate, that you talk to them and write. We don't write. We need to write. We need to gather letters, Mothers in Charge, your group, and let your voice be known that it is not right to do that.

And I would like to add that you need to write a letter to the Governor asking him to veto the bill. Because it just goes further and further -- in fact, what I have heard from one of the state webs is that each polling place will have a list of felons. And that, when people come to vote, their names have to be checked against that list. And, you know, there is no privacy. I mean, there is all kinds of issues related to that whole process. So I know that some of the state webs have written to the Governor; and that's what you need to do, also. It is important to do that.

We already have an 162 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 organized effort going on right now. I mean, that's what they did in Florida in 2000. They had the same list at the polls of ex-offenders who weren't supposed to be -- I mean, it is something that was done before. And we are prepared. We already know that we might to go to the court again. We had to go to the court before to get the right to vote back, anyway. So we might have to go through the courts again, and we are prepared to do that. But we have done the necessary things that we had to do as far as sending the letters. We have been up there twice to lobby all the legislature about this 1318 bill that, from what I understand, is being voted on today in Harrisburg in the committee. And it might be voted on tonight for the Senate, for the full Senate.

So that's why it is important to write the Governor, also. Because if it passes -- which the likelihood of it passing is probably great -- then the next step is the Governor's desk. 163 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06

Thank you all very much. We appreciate it. Versovia Fernandez from the Congreso de Latinos Unidos. Is Bruce Crawley in the house? We will note that Mr. Anthony Fullard was here earlier from the African-American Chamber, and he does plan to return. Good afternoon. Would you state your name for the record.

My name is Sibil Damas. I am from Congreso de Latinos Unidos. It is a pleasure to be here this afternoon. And we are just going to give you some testimony from Congreso.

You have to speak real slow so my old years can hear you, and you are going to speak into the mike. I can't hear that fast. I tell you like I tell my granddaughters. They talk real fast. I say, I can't hear that fast. So you have to talk slow for me and Councilwoman Miller. 164 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06

Congreso de Latinos Unidos has had the honor to work with the Blueprint For a Safer Philadelphia initiative for over a year. Under this program, Congreso has been able to share and contribute its knowledge and expertise with stakeholders of this initiative to help create programs that work against Philadelphia youth violence. Congreso, for over years, has 12 been providing services to victims and 13 perpetrators of crime. In many cases we have 14 successfully reformed youth and adults into 15 becoming healthy and responsible citizens. We have also helped thousands of individuals heal and recover from the trauma and fear caused by violence in our community. Nevertheless, violence and crime operate on a cycle that has passed from generation to generation. Congreso has acknowledged that, in order to break this cycle of violence and crime, we must not only provide the healing and treatment to those victims and 165 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 perpetrators, but we also must dedicate many of our efforts to prevent this violence and crime. To do so, we must go to the source of violence and crime at the community level in order to provide healing and treatment before an act is committed. Over the past year, through participation in the Blueprint For A Safer Philadelphia, Congreso has worked with members of community-based organizations, elected and appointed government officials, Philadelphia Police Department, District Attorney, and U.S. Attorney's Office, along with Latino and African-American youth and parents, in an attempt to better define strategies to address and tackle the source of violence in our community. During this time, Congreso has held workshops with members of the Latino and African-American community in Eastern North Philadelphia by providing a forum for constituents to talk about what plagues them in their neighborhoods. 166 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 Through discussions about their concerns, Congreso has learned details of violence. For example, a woman confided how unfair it is to have her enter into her own home with the threat from drug dealers saying that they would hurt her children if she called the police. She also told us about how her children hear the drug dealings and violence in their rooms at night, and also that her fear that's imposed on her fails her to follow through with any action. Additionally, through Congreso's multiple youth-development programs, the issue of violence is on the minds of our youth when they consistently ask, why is there violence in my neighborhood and what can you do about it. This desperate cry from the citizens of Philadelphia must be addressed one person at a time through education, awareness, and civic engagement, support that the Blueprint offers. 167 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 Our strategy and commitment is to fight crime and violence by identifying the source, providing healing and intervention services to these individuals, and ensuring that there is sufficient positive alternatives for youth. We applaud the vision and efforts behind the Blueprint For A Safer Philadelphia and welcome the opportunity to reduce and eventually eliminate crime and violence through attacking its source. I thank you for giving us the opportunity to speak to you today. Thank you.

Thank you. You are doing a wonderful job. Our next panel will be, we had Mr. Wali smith from the NAACP Act-So was here earlier. But we will call Cheryl Mulrain, Happy Hollow Playground Advisory. We have Officer Bryan Coyle with the Police Explorers. Would you like to come forward. And we have Ms. Bonita Cummings, 168 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 from the Strawberry Mansion Community Concern. We thank you all for your patience. Thank you for staying. When we have hearings like this on a subject of this nature, they tend to go most of the day. So we try to warn those individuals who want to testify that it is a day-long process because the discussion is extensive, and certainly people have a great interest in it. Ms. Mulrain.

Good afternoon.

Would you speak into the microphone, please. Pull it forward. Thank you.

Good afternoon. And I would like to thank Councilwoman Donna Reed Miller and Councilwoman Marian Tasco for having this hearing and allowing us to come in and speak today. My name is Cheryl Mulrain. I am the Vice-President of Happy Hollow Advisory Council, and I am also involved in several organizations in my community. 169 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 I am here today to testify that the violence in not just in our community, in our city, is indeed out of control. And in the past couple of weeks we have had several shootings in our immediate area along Wayne Avenue. We have had a murder, several shootings. And I am here today in support of the Blueprint hearing, in support of this effort to bring all of these organizations together for some type of resolve on the issue of violence. In working with the children at the recreation center, I see that we are raising a lot of our children, you know, in the streets. We are literally raising them when they come to the center. We have been successful in putting together programs to keep the children off the street. On Thursday and Friday nights we have games. That seems to work temporarily, until the games are over. We have homework help and things like that that we offer also in the evenings, 170 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 again to keep the children off the streets and have them in some type of structured activity. We do need support. Our young men have sports and other activities. We lack activities for our young girls in life skills, in mentoring, and other programs that would help them to develop a strong quality of life and special values. I do believe it takes a village to raise a child. And this effort, I believe, is on the right path to bringing everyone together so that we can save our children together. Again, I would like to thank you for having us here to speak today. And I will make this brief. That's all I have to say.

Thank you. Thank you very much. Officer Bryan Coyle, police Explorers. Thank you for coming and bringing some of the Explorers. We appreciate your coming early and staying. I hope the testimony has been beneficial. OFFICER BRYAN COYLE: Thank you, and 171 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 good afternoon to everyone. Again, my name is Officer Bryan Coyle. I have been on the job for years. I wanted to give you a little 5 brief history on my background. 6 I had three months in the Tactical 7 Response Team. I had four years in the 35th 8 Police District. I had eight years in the 9 Elite Highway Patrol Unit, and patrolling the 10 high-crime areas. And I have over two years 11 in the Traffic Expressway Truck Enforcement 12 Unit. 13 I worked in every part of the city 14 and talked to the young adults in those neighborhoods. They need help, support, and guidance. Through the years, there has been many arrests, but crime still goes on. I know there is a better way. The Blueprint is the first step to make Philadelphia a safer place. I run a program called "Philadelphia Explorers" at the Police Academy. It is for ages 14 to 20. It is a para-military organization. I have been involved with this program for 20 years. I was an Explorer 172 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 myself in high school. When I graduated the Police Academy, I took over the Academy's program. The first thing I did, I increased the days, hours, the discipline and the training, and membership grew. The Blueprint came into our lives. The number grew to 85 last year. We were able buy equipment and go on educational tours, trips, and run more training. It was hard for the Blueprint. I used to spend my own time and money onto the program. I am seeing an increase of Explorers coming from single-parent families and from foster families. They are lacking structure, mentors, and love. The teenagers are looking for a place to go, to be accepted, to belong, and perhaps a second family. This is one reason why we have gangs in our neighborhoods. The majority of the Explorers after high school go on to college, law enforcement careers, or into the military. 173 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 Right now we are presently working with the school district. They want me to start an after-school program during the year. I received calls from parents asking where can they take their kids, their youngsters, if they could join. If they are too young, I can't accept them. So I try to find them places where they could take their young ones. The Blueprint plan is going to help. It is going to get everybody together, unite them. I could now easily say, you call this number, or you could go on the website, and every Philadelphian is going be to be able to know where to go for help. The program I run is at the Academy every Saturday. And we are increasing the hours, and hopefully this afternoon program is going to take off very soon. They receive training, just like a police recruit would. They are taught discipline. And it furthers their career, their lives, and they find that second family 174 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 that they are looking for. And it is not a gang out on the streets. Just want to be accepted. I have some brochures I would like to pass out. If one of the Explorers could take the floor. At this time, if you have any questions, I will be happy to answer any of them.

Thank you. Is there a woman Explorer's group, too, girls? OFFICER COYLE: Girls are in it. I would say our membership is 50/50. We have just as many girls as boys.

Right. Well, let the record note that there are four young men who have accompanied Officer Coyle. And we thank you for coming out, and thank you for your testimony. OFFICER COYLE: Thank you.

I would like to add that I have actually used the police Explorers and Officer Bryan at some of our 175 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 community events. And, you know, they are well trained, they are very helpful. And I just want to publicly thank you and the Explorers for helping me. Thank you. OFFICER COYLE: Thank you.

Thank you. Now that I know that, I will use them, too. Thank you so much. Next young lady, Ms. Cummings.

Good afternoon, Council members, Councilwoman Blackwell, Tasco, Miller. My name is Bonita Cummings, Director of Strawberry Mansion Community Concern, elected committee woman, 28th Ward, 13th Division, and community activist. Many of us are just learning about the Blueprint. From the documents that I received and studied, it did start in 2004. So, we are primarily just learning of this plan. I just wanted to say that we were fortunate today to hear two women, one being 176 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 the Professor from Harvard and the District Attorney. And there are two women with different views, it appears, as to how we are going to get there on the ten points in that Blueprint. One, the Professor, seeming to have the humane aspect of our youth and what is happening to them and what is required; and the other arm being a prosecutorial arm. I think we need to keep in mind and have some caution to remember to keep the balance, that humane balance, in how we deal with our children so that we are not just locking with them, with no real program or plan to reenter into our society. Resolution No. " I am here today on vacation. As a committee person, I am often approached by families asking me about violence and their 177 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 children. So I am very glad to be here today to learn that there is some alternatives for those families and those children; and that we try and be more inclusive of the groups and/or communities who to date have not heard about this plan. The Blueprint For A Safer Philadelphia, I have read what documents were made available. 45 million in FY '05 being spent. All of this happened without the larger community, the people of these war-torn communities. Therefore, another opportunity, maybe because of the problems that we have and how severe they are, was lost in 2004 for a true and full comprehensive plan and dialogue to reduce and eliminate crime affecting the city's youth. 178 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 Example, successful parents who have navigated their sons and daughters through the battles of Philadelphia and won the war were not brought into the discussion. Time allotted does not allow us to say everything that needs to be said; however, a few points come to mind. One, what have we done as a society that a little innocent baby turns into a gun-toting criminal before he or she is even through his or her puberty years. Two, why have the same agencies mentioned in the Blueprint for a safer Philadelphia -- Alcohol Tobacco Firearms, District Attorney's Office -- not heard the call of the community, when concrete evidence is presented to them about gun sales, loose cigarette sales, and drug sales which come from the cartels on our street corners called retail variety grocery, hot/cold food stores, or, better yet, violent attractive nuisance businesses up and down our so-called commercial corridors. See reports by Bilal Qyuaam. 179 BILLS NO. 's Office, DHS, or the Philadelphia District Attorney; like Dr. Naim Akbar, Dr. Claude Anderson, Ali Salideen of 20/20 group, Maulana Karenga, et cetera. Until this respect is given, our babies are going to continue to die on the street of all the major first-class cities because the people they truly need are not a part of the process or dialogue. Why is there no mention in the Blueprint report about gun runners, illegal purchases from gun manufacturers? See the movie Lord of War with Nicholas Cage. Why is there no mention of just how across the borders of Mexico guns, drugs, and now even tunnels are making its way to the United States? See Nightline, January 5, 2006. Why is there no mention of just how 180 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 these youth are getting weapons, like AK 47s, and then being seduced into these acts of violence?

Why in the written report is there no mention of Hollywood and its glamorizing of the gangster rap and gun violence and Clear Channel and its excessive negative billboard advertisement of alcohol and tobacco? The report is not completely comprehensive; in fact, it is lopsided. A. that some of the dollars go into the homes of these families; that they can rehabilitate the parents, as much of the blame has been placed on the family or the household. So we would like to ask that, as they move forward, that they do put money into the actual households of these violent youth. However, one good thing in the report is the mention of a program in Detroit, Hand Gun Intervention Program, which offers services, such as drug and alcohol counseling and job training and placement, as a prerequisite to bail. 181 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 The rich get rich from the unsuspecting and the poor. To truly effectuate change, to truly effectuate change, everyone has to take responsibility. Maybe, just maybe, we as a society have gone too far. Now how do we get back to sanity and save our children, black and white alike, who are the future? 's Office, L & I, Health Department, but especially the School District of Philadelphia who will be testifying about why we should fund them. I contend that City Council should know that, if we do not put phonics back into the school system, we are continuing to perpetuate illiteracy. Phonics works. And presently the only way for our children to get it is to pay hundreds of dollars, and it is called Hooked On Phonics. 182 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 A child that can't read is more likely to get confused, pick up a gun, and commit a murder. We also should be looking at community groups. Just maybe the activity grants dollars and the taxpayer dollars that some of them receive can put a 45-minute dance class, arts, or anger-management class back into the school district curriculum on school premises. Youth engage in positive and interesting classes during school hours are less likely to pick up a gun and shoot someone. These measures are proactive. And I do thank you for the opportunity. And I would appreciate that, as they move forward, that the families, neighborhoods, and residents who have not been made aware of this plan, the ten-point Blueprint, that we can find a way to get inclusive so that we all can have the advice and have a voice so that nothing is left out, no stones are unturned. The violence is -- it just fills me 183 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 up. Like, my heart is just totally broken. And for every mother who loses a son, we all lose sons. Thank you.

Thank you so much for your testimony. Let me say that when the meeting was called about the Blueprint, as far as I know, they tried to be as inclusive as possible with all the community organizations who were involved in dealing with children and families. This is not a plan that is, this is the plan. This is a Blueprint for us to develop the plans. So today we are having this hearing in City Council as a beginning, so that we could have people come in and offer their recommendations as to what needs to be done. Because it is an evolving and ongoing process. So we are not saying this is the Blueprint, and this is what's going to happen. These are ideas that came from a number of people who met for months -- as you heard Dr. 184 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 Stith say, they met in August -- who all had different thoughts about different things. And, of course, I guess they had to come down with something. But it is a Blueprint. It isn't the final report, and this is what we are going to do. This is a way to segue into dealing with the issue of violence. We do plan to go into the various communities and neighborhoods, to have input from people who live in those communities, because one community's problems may not be the same as another community's. Then, when we come back, how do we address those issues we have heard in the community. You raise some very worthwhile issues. Some of them maybe we could deal with on a local level, some of them are national issues. But certainly you have given serious thought to this, and I appreciate it. I read your commentaries. You are a very thoughtful woman and certainly have some thoughtful 185 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 questions and arguments, and some reasonable solutions. So certainly you will be notified when we do the work in the neighborhoods. And I do believe it is going to be done on legislative districts. I'm not sure about that. I am not in charge of the Blueprint. I just thought we needed to have a discussion about it here, beginning in City Council, because we haven't had the real public discussion about it. But you will be involved, and certainly I appreciate your comments. And your comments will be a part of the record, which we will share with those individuals who have been working on the Blueprint.

Thank you. We do appreciate it, and we look forward to participating.

And I would like to add, too, that it is my understanding that people were invited from all over across the city. And it is hard to get the name or number of every group. But your name is on 186 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 record now.

I am a committee person. So if that's a part of the structure of mailing --

I don't think they were actually mailed out to individual committee people. I don't think that.

Okay.

But if you make sure to Tim Spritzer, right there, if Tim has your information, then he will make sure that you are a part, your group will be notified when there are meetings and et cetera. I personally want to thank you, Bonita and Cheryl and Officer Bryan, for coming in today. I think the Blueprint is, you know, going to really help make a difference here in Philadelphia. And the more people that can get involved, the better it will be.

And I appreciate Tim is sitting here. And what we ought to do, and probably will do -- again, I 187 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 am not a part of that structure to organize it -- but to notify all of the committee people and block captains, because they are the connectors to the community, as well as the community organizations in the neighborhood, that they be put on the mailing list. And that's how we have the crime bill, is to let people know through that process.

I appreciate it. Because we are often asked by community residents about groups and resources, so this helps us to know.

Sure. Thank you. Thank you so much for coming in, Officer Bryan, we appreciate it. Is there anyone else here to testify on this resolution? There being no other individuals to testify, this committee will stand in recess until the call of the Chairs. Thank you very much. We thank 188 BILLS NO. 051155 and 051182 - 2/13/06 everybody for participating. We thank WRD for broadcasting this program today to the public, and thank the President for allowing it to be on television. Thank you all very much. (Hearing adjourned at 2:15 p.m.) - - - 189 C E R T I F I C A T I O N I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing proceedings of the Council of the City of Philadelphia of Monday, February 13, 2006, were reported fully and accurately by me, and that this is a correct transcript of same. RE: COMMITTEES ON PUBLIC SAFETY AND PUBLIC HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES _________________________ DEBRA A. WHITEHEAD