COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC SAFETY - - - Room 400, City Hall Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Tuesday, January 30, 2007 1:30 p.m. - - - PRESENT: COUNCILWOMAN DONNA REED MILLER, CHAIR COUNCILMAN WILLIAM GREENLEE COUNCILMAN JAMES F. KENNEY COUNCILMAN FRANK RIZZO COUNCILMAN DARRELL L. CLARKE COUNCILMAN JUAN RAMOS COUNCILWOMAN BLONDELL REYNOLDS BROWN RESOLUTION 060971 - Resolution authorizing City Council's Committee on Public Safety to hold public hearings focusing primarily on testimony of Philadelphia youth and young adults regarding gun related and violent crime in our communities, so as to include their experiences and views in developing plans, actions and policy to reduce or eliminate these occurrences and their horrific impact on our young citizens and communities. - - - V A R A L L O Incorporated Litigation Support Services Eleven Penn Center 1835 Market Street, Suite 600 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103 215.561.2220 215.567.2670 2
Good afternoon, everyone. The Committee on Public Safety is now in session. Would the Clerk please read the title of the resolution.
Resolution 060971, resolution authorizing City Council's Committee on Public Safety to hold public hearings focusing primarily on testimony of Philadelphia youth and young adults regarding gun related and violent crime in our communities, so as to include their experiences and views in developing plans, actions and policy to reduce or eliminate these occurrences and their horrific impact on our young citizens and communities.
Thank you. Let the record reflect that in attendance are Committee members Councilman Frank Rizzo, Councilman Jim Kenney to my right and Councilman Bill 24 Greenlee also to my right. I have a brief opening 3 1/30/07 - PUBLIC SAFETY - RES. 060971 statement. Please come in and have a seat and try to be as quiet as you can. We also have seats on the left-hand side of the room. Before we start, I'd just like to welcome everyone that has come today to this afternoon's hearing. Our youth are not only the children of their parents but the sons and daughters of all of us, and for that reason, we have a collective and communal obligation to do the very best that we can to provide for them a safe and secure environment in which to grow and learn. Franklin Delano Roosevelt said at his speech at the University of Penn in 1940, "We cannot always build a future for your youth, but we can build our youth for the future." This is an official City Council hearing and I'd like to begin by thanking those who have taken an interest in Philadelphia and its problems with 4 1/30/07 - PUBLIC SAFETY - RES. 060971 violence in the City of Philadelphia. Resolution 060971 was introduced on December 14th, 2006 to hear from our youth and young adults who are most affected by this horrific plague of gun related and violent crime. To date, we have not given our young citizens enough of an opportunity to speak about how they experience these tragedies and what they believe would help prevent them from becoming involved in the first place. We have been informed by leaders and participants in programs like Don't Fall Down in the Hood, Blueprint for a Safer Philadelphia, Youth Services Violence Reduction Program, PAAN and many more that this type of forum is long overdue. We have to let our youth, their families and communities know the strength of our commitment by allowing their voices to be a part of our search for solutions to this devastating problem. Are there any members of this 5 1/30/07 - PUBLIC SAFETY - RES. 060971 Committee or Councilmembers present who would like to offer any remarks at this time? (No response.)
Today we will be spending most of our time hearing from our youth. We will begin by giving all the youth here today an opportunity to introduce themselves and give us a brief description of why they're here or why they're in the program that they're in, and after that, we'll hear from a few of the youth as to more detailed information going back to before they did what they did, during the act and after the fact. We'll also see a video called "Close to Death," and that's a Philly-Wood Production and Alpha-Media Entertainment Production, and questions will follow and, before closing, possibly some recommendations and possible solutions. What we actually want to do is 6 1/30/07 - PUBLIC SAFETY - RES. 060971 bring Dr. Leacock up. We've also been joined by Councilman Darrell Clarke. Dr. Leacock, actually the program Don't Fall Down in the Hood is under one of his programs. So, Dr. Leacock, if you just give us a brief description about the program, and then we'll allow the youth and the others to introduce themselves. And the way we're going to do this, we're going to probably take one program at a time. So we'll do Don't Fall Down in the Hood, young people will introduce themselves, and then those that you've said are going to sit at the table and speak, we'll do that. And then we're going to have the video and then we'll go to probably PAAN, AVRP and Integrated Town Watch and any other group that's here. You can begin by identifying yourself, speak directly into the mike and identify yourself for the record and 7 1/30/07 - PUBLIC SAFETY - RES. 060971 spell your name. Thank you.
Okay. Well, I do want to say a real generous thanks to City Council and the Public Safety Committee and particularly Donna Reed Miller for organizing this entire event. I understand it has been about years 9 since the Public Safety and City Council 10 have heard from young people themselves. 11 I think the times have been 12 such over the past few years that it is 13 really critical that young people come to the Council Chambers and sort of talk about what's going on in their lives, what's going on in their communities, what's going on in their schools, what are some of their aspirations, what might be holding them back, and see how we can together as their mentors, the elected officials, the folks who care about them with them work together in making Philadelphia a safer place. Don't Fall Down in the Hood is a program, one of eight programs, a part 8 1/30/07 - PUBLIC SAFETY - RES. 060971 of the Institute for the Development of African American Youth. We're all over the City. Young people come to Don't Fall Down in the Hood on the Temple University campus and work with us for, on average, three to four months. Many of our young people, as you will hear from them themselves, have been arrested for using or carrying a gun, aggravated assault, theft, narcotics. But these are young people who have turned themselves around with the care of the staff and together with their families. These are tremendous young people, as you will hear when they talk. They have great potential and, for whatever reason at the moment, they got caught up in the moment or made choices that weren't positive choices. But we say to them all the time at Don't Fall Down in the Hood, We're glad you're at Don't Fall Down in the Hood, because we can really mentor you and work with you and point you to a future where you can 9 1/30/07 - PUBLIC SAFETY - RES. 060971 really be a productive citizen in our city and in the United States. Violence is great, as we all know, but the young people who are here today are clearly, without a doubt, a part of the solution. And Councilwoman and all of the Council folks here, thanks so much for having us here, and we're looking forward to joining you all the way to make Philadelphia a safer place and to reduce crime and young people's input in making that a real possibility. I want to introduce our fearless leader, Aaron Spence, who is our Interim Board President, so he can say a few words, and then we will open it up to our young people, who will then introduce themselves with the staff, Andre Chin and Phil Harris and others who are here today. Aaron Spence.
Thank you, Archye. I'd also like to thank everybody for coming out and also thank 10 1/30/07 - PUBLIC SAFETY - RES. 060971 our young ones. It takes a lot for them to come up and stand before you, Council. A lot of them expressed some of their anxieties, but I assured them that everybody here is because they want to help. So I encourage our young people --
Excuse me. You have to identify yourself for the record.
So I just encourage our young people to speak up, let everybody know that everybody is here to help to be part of the solution. Also, I want to encourage everybody here that if they get an opportunity, IDAAY does wonderful work with the youth. Archye has been involved for the last 15 or 16 years. But we encourage you to talk to the youth, come down and visit us, come down and visit 11 1/30/07 - PUBLIC SAFETY - RES. 060971 our programs. This program here is really renowned, but we also have seven or eight other programs that are just as successful, and we are really dedicated to helping our youth. I want to thank the youth also for coming out and just telling them to speak up, be fearless and understand that everybody here wants to be part of the solution and help you. Thanks again.
Andre Chin, can I call upon you to have the students announce themselves?
The mike here in the middle is where they can come. Also, for the record, Councilman Juan Ramos has also joined 12 1/30/07 - PUBLIC SAFETY - RES. 060971 this hearing. He's also a member of Public Safety. When you state your name -- can you pull that up? Can that go up? Okay. Good. That's great.
How ya'll doing? My name Lamar Stalworth, L-A-M-A-R, S-T-A-L-W-O-R-T-H. I'm in Don't Fall Down in the Hood for possession of a firearm.
My name is Tyrell Woods, T-Y-R-E-L-L, W-O-O-D-S, and I'm in Don't Fall Down in the Hood for possession of a firearm.
My name is Tom Carter. I'm in the Don't Fall Down in the Hood program for possession of a firearm.
My name is Devin Murray, D-E-V-I-N, M-U-R-R-A-Y. 13 1/30/07 - PUBLIC SAFETY - RES. 060971
My name Harum Ulmer, H-A-R-U-M, U-L-M-E-R. I'm in the Don't Fall Down in the Hood program because I was caught with possession of narcotics.
How you doing? My name is Lonelle Parks, L-O-N-E-L-L-E, P-A-R-K-S. I'm in this program, Don't Fall Down in the Hood, for possession of narcotics.
How ya'll doing? My name Bryce Hawthorne, B-R-Y-C-E, H-A-W-T-H-O-R-N-E. I'm in Don't Fall Down in the Hood because of robbery.
My name is Michal Norha. M-I-C-H-A-L, N-O-R-H-A. I'm in the program Don't Fall Down in the Hood for possession of a firearm.
My name is Lloyd, L-L-O-Y-D, T-U-T-T-I-N-O, Tuttino. I'm here for aggravated assault.
My name is Adan 14 1/30/07 - PUBLIC SAFETY - RES. 060971 Rodan, A-D-A-N, R-O-D-A-N. I'm here in the program Don't Fall Down in the Hood. I'm here for robbery.
My name Rahfea Yates, R-A-H-F-E-A. I'm here for possession of a firearm. KEVIN: My name Kevin, K-E-V-I-N. I'm here for possession of narcotics. DUNTAE: My name Duntae, D-U-N-T-A-E. I'm here for a firearm. SHERON: My name Sheron. You spell that S-H-E-R-O-N. I'm in Don't Fall Down in the Hood for robbery. LATEEF: My name Lateef, L-A-T-E-E-F. I'm in Don't Fall Down in the Hood for robbery. TERENCE: My name Terence, T-E-R-E-N-C-E. I'm in Don't Fall Down in the Hood for gun and narcotics. AARON: My name Aaron, A-A-R-O-N. I'm here for assault.
Thank you. Thank you. Don't we have about -- 15 1/30/07 - PUBLIC SAFETY - RES. 060971 Dr. Leacock, I don't see you. Okay. There you are. I see you. Hold on one second. We have -- I don't know how many are going to be up there with you. Councilman Kenney.
Thank you very much. Before you get started, I just wanted to take the opportunity to thank you for your courage coming in here in a public way and speaking to us and showing us that you've changed. (Applause.)
I think it takes a lot of courage to face people and to talk about things that you've done in your past that you may not be proud of, but I want to let you know that we appreciate the fact that you come in here today, and wish you all the luck in the future. And I think this is good because we can kind of get an idea what you may need to help you continue on the right path. It also is frightening to see the number of firearms that people have 16 1/30/07 - PUBLIC SAFETY - RES. 060971 available to them, and we got to figure out a way not only to get them out of your hands, which you've done on your own, but to find out the people who are putting them in your hands, because they're the real criminals. (Applause.)
I, too, want to just thank you, too, for your courage in coming in here today. You didn't have to, and I know some people were a little bit nervous. But when I was out at one of the hearings that we had out in the neighborhoods and when I saw and heard young people and how many of those said that they had a weapons offense, to tell you the truth, I almost fell out of my chair. I couldn't believe it was so many. But we can read about the problem, we can hear about it, but when I saw it in my face, then it was real to me. So I really want to thank you guys for coming in. I'm just saying 17 1/30/07 - PUBLIC SAFETY - RES. 060971 "guys." I mean also the young ladies that we'll get to a little bit later. Okay. Thank you. We can begin. And don't forget, state your name clearly, speak into the mike so we can hear you good. Okay? So let's get started. Who is going first?
Good afternoon. My name Andre Chin, A-N-D-R-E, C-H-I-N. I just want to thank you for the opportunity to have the young people speak in front of you today. I think these young men have prepared very well. Had a difficult time with them in the beginning, and when we saw a big, positive adjustment in their change and they're on a positive path right now and they're trying to stay out of trouble. I'm going to introduce to you at first to my right Lamar Stalworth.
How you doing? My name Lamar Stalworth, L-A-M-A-R, S-T-A-L-W-O-R-T-H. And I'm thanking 18 1/30/07 - PUBLIC SAFETY - RES. 060971 ya'll for giving me the opportunity to come speak with ya'll today. One of the things I wanted to bring up was about opportunities for job sites in the neighborhood. We came up with the name Our New Deal. It was about Philadelphia workshops in the neighborhood as far as people like ex-cons and high school dropouts, people that's on the corner, for like jobs that's in the neighborhood, jobs that -- I mean, work that's in the neighborhood that need to be done that nobody do, stuff like that. As far as smaller classrooms and stuff in schools, workshops for schools, so whereas though if you want to be in high school and if you don't think you can go all the way through college, you can be able to come straight out of high school with like a certificate to be a carpenter, plumber, something like that. That's about it. I will introduce my fellow 19 1/30/07 - PUBLIC SAFETY - RES. 060971 program person, Devin.
Hi. My name is Devin Murray, D-E-V-I-N, M-U-R-R-A-Y. I'm here to talk about recreation centers in the neighborhoods. As far as like -- talk about recreation centers like putting more hours into the community, show the people that they're here to make a change, not just for the money and, you know, put more effort into what they do. And recreation centers need to be available hours a day. There has been 14 violence at the recreation centers, so 15 security is always an issue. We need 16 competent and caring staff that will go 17 the extra mile. Recreation centers need 18 to meet the interests of the youth. In 19 order to do this, we need input from the 20 youth. Young people end up on corners 21 because some recreation centers are just 22 as unsafe in some areas as being on the 23 corners. We need regular programming 24 that is consistent, exciting and also safe. Overall, the recreation centers 20 1/30/07 - PUBLIC SAFETY - RES. 060971 need to provide us with things we are missing at home and cater to our needs. The recreation centers should reflect the needs of the community. As of now, the recreation centers are lacking. They're lacking the ability to comprehensively serve the community. Thank you.
How you doing? I'm Lamar Stalworth again. I wanted to sit and tell ya'll about the time and what caused me to get to Don't Fall Down in the Hood, to be in this program. One day I was in North Philly at the area at 31st and Montgomery and I was just hanging out in my neighborhood, when a cop was chasing a little boy. Well, I know a person that was running past and the cop was chasing him. The cop dropped his firearm. I picked it up. Me being a person who I was, ain't have no job, ain't have no money, being out on the corner hustling and everything, I knew I could sell the gun on the streets. So I 21 1/30/07 - PUBLIC SAFETY - RES. 060971 took the gun home, concealed it. The cop who dropped his firearm, they recently grabbed the whole -- they locked the neighborhood down. They grabbed people. People told them who had the gun and where I lived at and everything. They came in there, handcuffed me. They beat me up and everything, took me to jail. They didn't find the gun in my possession. They found the gun around the corner on another block. And that's how I got in the program. I got on probation, went to court, tried to fight it, civil suit. That didn't work, so we just got it on regular probation. Then they sent me to the Don't Fall Down in the Hood program. I got released from that program, got off probation. Then like I couldn't find no 22 job, still couldn't find no job, so I felt myself falling back down in the hood. I was going to go back out on the streets to hustle, to try and make money 22 1/30/07 - PUBLIC SAFETY - RES. 060971 to support me and my daughter or whatever. And like it was just like I just started thinking, like something ain't right, like everything don't go right for me like it used to be when I was back then hustling. So I called up Mr. Chin right here and I told him I just had to talk with him. I was letting him know like I feel as though I'm falling back down in the hood. So he told me to come into the program, and ever since then, I've just been coming to the program back and forth to stop from falling down in the hood.
Devin Murray. I'm here to say the reason why I'm in Don't Fall Down in the Hood is because I was caught in school with a knife. And how that goes, I was at my step dad house on 23 1/30/07 - PUBLIC SAFETY - RES. 060971 the weekend down in West Philly Saturday evening. My nephew had a knife that fell off my mom's key chain, and he threw the knife at me. And I took the knife from him and put it in my pocket. Later on that evening, I go home, changed my clothes, come back down West Philly. Monday morning I had woke up late as I was down West Philly, so by me waking up late, I had to rush home. I didn't have the time to actually get myself prepared for that day, so I just threw the same clothes I had on Saturday and went to school, and the knife was in my pocket. I walked through the metal detectors and set off the alarms. And that's why I'm here in Don't Fall Down in the Hood.
So you were put on probation because you had a knife on your person?
You were put on probation because you had a knife in your pocket or wherever? 24 1/30/07 - PUBLIC SAFETY - RES. 060971
Okay. Great. Well, I think what I heard between both of you say is that if we had employment opportunities or training, recreation, education and maybe if the rec centers' hours were a little bit more expanded. Isn't that what you said?
What do we need in rec centers? One of the two said rec centers should meet your needs better or meet the needs --
Yes. As in to cater and actually be there for them, not just for the money, to actually take the time and effort to get to know that person and help them as a neighbor.
Thank you. For the program itself, is there a job referral component or educational training component to the program? How does it work?
We do have educational training. Myself and Philip Harris, the other case manager, the young men who are able to work because of school, we take them out and fill out applications or find jobs. But I think their main purpose the reason why I think they have a hard time finding jobs is because of their charges.
And also because of their age. But I think what they cry for a lot is an opportunity for someone their age to actually find a job. It's very difficult for 16- and 17-year-old kids to find a job. When they're filling out an 1/30/07 - PUBLIC SAFETY - RES. 060971 application, they have to tell the employer that they were arrested and they were carrying a gun. And I think the employers kind of shy away from that because they think that they're thugs and they're not going to be a help.
There's been some discussion in Council and I don't know whether this is Councilman Goode's bill or -- Councilwoman Miller's bill to eliminate that question from the initial round of interview. If you can get to the second or third round of an interview and then that information needs to come forward, then it may make more sense then than eliminating somebody immediately out of the box. Because I mean, if I want them to get right and they're not working, I don't know how they could ever do it. I mean, it's a total catch 22. So we've been having that discussion. I don't know what the status of the bill is, but certainly we're 27 1/30/07 - PUBLIC SAFETY - RES. 060971 supportive of it in trying to figure out a way to get people at least in the door and through the first round of interview. And then if there's a job of sensitivity, if you work at a bank or somewhere that they need to know about your past, at that point in time it should come forward as opposed to the initial entry into it. Do you deal with any agencies or any organizations as far as job referral itself?
What happens when they fill out -- do you give them leads?
Right. We take them to job sites. We take them to K-Mart, Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Home Depot, the different sites, take them on the Internet. We use Temple University a lot, so we have access to the computers.
Have the universities been -- I know Temple must be helpful in having your program there, 28 1/30/07 - PUBLIC SAFETY - RES. 060971 but have they been helpful in trying to bring on some young people as far as employees?
At this time, we are working on something with Temple. Professor Leacock has been dealing with Temple for a long time, so they're trying to assist us as much as they can as well. So that's something that's in the works right now.
One of my suggestions -- and I'd be happy to offer my assistance, and I'm sure anybody here would do the same thing -- is to talk to the other institutions. I mean, University of Pennsylvania and we have Drexel, we have large campuses in the city that may be interested in doing something like this and at least giving people a chance to redeem themselves and become productive. So I'd be happy through the Chair to have some contact with you and to make some calls relative to the other 29 1/30/07 - PUBLIC SAFETY - RES. 060971 institutions, hospitals, universities and see if there's some -- I mean, for every one person that you get employed, that's going to be a success story probably in the end.
That will be great. Because they need to build confidence. If they're going and filling out applications and they're not getting any jobs, they're filling out six and seven applications and they're not getting a job, they lose confidence.
I mean, if these two men are indicative of the program, they're well spoken, they come in, they look like they could be employable very easily.
So it's just, I think, the opportunities to come about, and the only way to do that is by the Committee making connections. So I'd be happy to -- we'd all be happy to help in that. 30 1/30/07 - PUBLIC SAFETY - RES. 060971
Yes. I think we'd all be happy to help. I just have a question here. Now, what age does Don't Fall Down in the Hood go up to?
13 to 18. 9 Okay. So now let me ask you this, 10 because I just don't know: If there's a 11 16-year-old who has committed a crime, 12 does that necessarily have to go down on 13 the job application?
What about what Devin was saying, the inner city like as far as the neighborhood recreation centers and stuff like that? Besides the 16-year-old working, he could be somewhere in like a recreation center on a computer, playing basketball or something like that. 31 1/30/07 - PUBLIC SAFETY - RES. 060971 And another thing, like what about the people that's not in our program, the kid that's on the streets hustling and the adults that need jobs that can't get jobs?
Well, there are programs that are around, but, you know, one of my questions actually today is going to be how can we get more of those young people that are on the streets into places like rec centers, into more structured environments. I go by, drive by rec centers sometimes and they're kind of empty. I'm like, Where are the children? I mean, don't get me wrong, I know we're from two completely different generations, but when we were kids, every day after school we went to the rec center, at night after dinner we went to the rec center or the Y or the Boys Club. Now many of those buildings are empty or you hear that children are afraid to go because of some of the types of 32 1/30/07 - PUBLIC SAFETY - RES. 060971 activities, nuisance types I'll call it, activities that are around some of our rec centers. And then up in the area not far from me we just had three people shot at a recreation center. So what is that going to do to the center? People are going to stay away. One of the things we want to hear from young people today is how can we find solutions, how can we deal. Even if we have midnight basketball. You know, there was a time -- you may be too young, I don't know, but there was a time that Philadelphia was doing midnight basketball and keeping rec centers open a little later. Would people actually come out?
I say the reason why I brought this recreation center up, because it's like the kids do need a place where they need to go and do their homework and just be safe. And by doing that, they need to invest by, again, something that would attract the young 33 1/30/07 - PUBLIC SAFETY - RES. 060971 kids. That's what they're not doing, they're not attracting any young kids. So if they get, you know, a game system, more computers, doing more fun activities and, you know, fundraisers that advertise what they're doing to bring more young people in, that's what they need to do to enhance their ability in what they're doing.
Right. We probably need to make sure that all of the rec centers' advisory boards have young people as a part of that advisory council so you guys can make the recommendation.
My name is Philip Harris. I'm a case manager at Don't Fall Down in the Hood. 34 1/30/07 - PUBLIC SAFETY - RES. 060971 We have two more youth who will speak and also give their testimonial and some solutions and answer some of your questions.
My name is Tyrell Woods. I'm in Don't Fall Down in the Hood for possession of a gun, and I'm here to talk about police brutality and how we can kind of curve police brutality and we can come up with hotlines that youth could go to to talk about police brutality, because a lot of times when police brutality go on, it just get overlooked and nobody knows where to go to or who to go to to see about the problem. My story and the reason why I'm in Don't Fall Down in the Hood, because one evening I was walking down the block and I had a gun on me and it was past curfew and I got pulled over by the cops 35 1/30/07 - PUBLIC SAFETY - RES. 060971 and I got searched and they found a gun in my pocket, so...
I had the gun on me because me and my friends, we had got into a problem and words got exchanged and it was...
Words got exchanged and you thought you needed the gun to --
And I think that's what a lot of the youth go to, because seemingly they're taking things into their own hands, because I don't know if it's they feel comfortable going to the police and talking about their problems, but they're going out and getting guns on like -- and doing it theirselves. So I think we need to open up that type of dialogue or communication with the police and facilitate some type of training where these young people feel comfortable 36 1/30/07 - PUBLIC SAFETY - RES. 060971 actually going into a police station and talking about what's happening instead of going out to the corners and picking up guns.
So just to be real clear, you're saying that you had a gun to protect yourself because you had a conflict with a friend?
No. It wasn't one of my friends. It was me and my friends and another group.
It was me and my friends, but we had a conflict with another group of people.
But what could have helped was if they were comfortable enough to go into the police station or somewhere to talk about their problem?
Yeah, I think so. As far as some type of prevention in the schools, a type of program to where they 37 1/30/07 - PUBLIC SAFETY - RES. 060971 talk about violence in the communities and also have counselors that cater towards those types of things as far as violence, youth violence, that like a class that's actually taking place in the high schools that will actually inform the youth on the consequences of violence and also be that listening ear where they can talk to. Because many of the youth don't have that at home. They don't have that support. So somewhere it has to be like kind of like a surrogate family that has to be put in place for these youth.
Thank you, Madam Chair. To follow up on something, the first statement that Councilman Kenney made to the young man that just spoke, he said when he had this problem, he felt he had to go out and get a gun. Am I right to assume it was not hard to find that weapon? 38 1/30/07 - PUBLIC SAFETY - RES. 060971
And I assume that probably most of the young people in here can say that they could get a gun pretty easily, correct?
I actually heard that you can rent a gun for an hour. Is that true?
Thank you for being here today to take part in a very, very troubling and the number one 39 1/30/07 - PUBLIC SAFETY - RES. 060971 issue facing Philadelphia, crime, violence and drugs. My line of questioning was along the same lines as my colleague, Councilman Greenlee. If I ask you today to find me a gun, that I wanted to buy a gun, would you have a hard time getting a gun for me? Would you know where to go to purchase a gun?
Yeah, I think so. I don't think it would be a problem for any youth now.
I don't think it would be a problem for any youth to find a gun for you now, how crazy guns is in the neighborhoods. It's like going to the store and getting some chips or something.
If I -- this is hypothetical, and please don't interpret this wrong. And if you went to a place that came to mind to you right now and you couldn't find one there for 40 1/30/07 - PUBLIC SAFETY - RES. 060971 me, would you think of another place where you can go and get it?
And if you couldn't get it in that second place, would there be a third place?
If I was to tell you I need a gun, do you think that you might be able to go five, six, seven different places until you got it for me at the price that I was willing to pay for it?
Okay. You know why? Because I spend a lot of time out in the street, and I live in North Philly, and I was cruising around a part 41 1/30/07 - PUBLIC SAFETY - RES. 060971 of North Philly during the summer, right? And I see this guy on the corner, happened to be a guy that looked like a friend of mine from back in the day, right? So I pull up and I said, So-and-so. And he looked at me. He said, Juan, right? Comes over -- and it was a hot corner. We all know what I mean by a "hot corner." It was a real hot corner. And he walks over to the car and we -- how is your father, my mother died, and we're into that talk. And then I said to him, What are you doing on this corner? And he says to me, It's not what you think I'm doing on the corner. I said, Okay. So what are you doing on the corner? And he said, Somebody has got to sell these guys the guns. And he kind of like caught himself. He says, Juan, I got to get away. I got to go. And he just went away. And what I have picked up is that just as we have the selling of 42 1/30/07 - PUBLIC SAFETY - RES. 060971 drugs in certain parts of the city, indoors, outdoors, that we also have people out there that are selling guns like people selling drugs. Is that the way -- is it that real out there?
I think it is that real, but I think it's going to get worse because there's not a lot of stuff that young people have to do.
Pardon me, Councilman. I hate to interrupt, but we have one more speaker that could give his testimonial and then if we could --
Can I get the answer to that last question, if you don't mind?
It could get worse because young people now, it seems like they're restless. There's nothing to do but go outside and get into stuff. Like they said before, the group before us, 43 1/30/07 - PUBLIC SAFETY - RES. 060971 there's no recreation centers, there's nothing for us to do but go outside and do the wrong thing, because there's not more like programs like Don't Fall Down in the Hood like to prevent stuff. And I think it should be a lot of stuff to prevent stuff like this from happening so we don't have to go to a program like this before we get locked up. So if we had stuff like that, I think it prevents stuff. If not prevent it, it could slow the gun violence down a lot, by telling people the type of consequences you could get from being locked up for a gun and having a gun, because a lot of people don't know.
I appreciate your candor and your insight on this, on how we can do more to tackle this problem of crime, violence and drugs. Thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair.
My name Harum Ulmer and the reason why I'm in Don't Fall Down 44 1/30/07 - PUBLIC SAFETY - RES. 060971 in the Hood because I was caught with possession of narcotics. I'm here today because I want to be a success and part of the solution. The reason what I was doing with the narcotics was, I was serving addicts in the alleyway one day in my West Philly neighborhood. And I was in the alleyway and one of the addicts wanted some crack cocaine, so I went in the alleyway and went to go and get it and I guess one of the neighbors on the block called the cops on me. In less than five minutes, the cops pulled up, and one of them came through the back of the alleyway, one came through the front, and one grabbed me, slammed me, put the cuffs on me, and the other one was looking for my pack and they found it. And then they put me in back of the paddy wagon. At this point in time, I was not going to school because I felt as though there was no reason for me to go to school because it was a lot of things 45 1/30/07 - PUBLIC SAFETY - RES. 060971 happening, you ain't get no teacher. But the reason I was not going to school, because it was less books in the classroom, too many people trying to get the teacher attention. I seen no reason to be in school. Our classroom, the hallways was dirty, broke computers. In CEP, the classrooms in the community, but in reality -- they call it a community, but in reality, it's really like a glass cage, when people is not animals. But after awhile, I put in an effort to get where I needed to go. Now I'm in Bartram Annex. We have cleaner classrooms. We can walk around every day. I really feel free. We have better computers and everything is updated. The way I feel about it is, every young person in Philadelphia needs smaller classrooms, more resources, better teachers, cleaner schools, plus in the main problem that all of us need to get is equal education, no matter your class, your gender or your race, because 46 1/30/07 - PUBLIC SAFETY - RES. 060971 when it come down to it, we all the same Americans. I think they need to shut down CEPs all over the world, not just in Philadelphia, and put more LAA programs out there and just better schools, period. Thank you. (Applause.)
So your recommendation -- you know what I think we should say, too? If anybody wants to send a copy of their recommendations, it 47 1/30/07 - PUBLIC SAFETY - RES. 060971 would be most appreciated. I mean, the stenographer is actually writing down what everyone is saying, but it would be good if we could sort of classify them and send them in.
Just one quick question relative to the program. What relationship do you have with the churches in the neighborhoods? Is there any cooperation or is there any input from church to church with your program?
Yeah. We meet frequently as far as with like pastors and things of that nature.
You're talking about surrogate kind of families. That's kind of the place I would think you could find --
Exactly. And I 48 1/30/07 - PUBLIC SAFETY - RES. 060971 understand where you're going with that, but it seems that a lot of our youth aren't going to the churches. So I don't know what could be put in place or how we can talk to them about that, but religion is not seeming to actually draw them in.
I wasn't actually thinking about going to services, although that would be great, too, but my point is that they have halls and they have social stuff. I mean, there's other things, as you know, that the churches provide other than just the Sunday service, and I'm wondering whether or not -- and even the possibility of employment through a maintenance person or that kind of thing and -- I'll wait for the other ones.
Thank you. You have more young people back there? 49 1/30/07 - PUBLIC SAFETY - RES. 060971
Good afternoon, everyone. My name is Frederick Whiten, F-R-E-D-E-R-I-C-K, W-H-I-T-E-N.
Okay. You can begin wherever, however you're going to begin.
I guess I should begin by first thanking everyone for allowing us to be here today. My boys are sitting here, and I call them "my boys" because I couldn't love them any more than if I was their father. That is the kind of love that purveys throughout the program in Don't Fall Down in the Hood. 50 1/30/07 - PUBLIC SAFETY - RES. 060971 These young men will probably share their stories with you and give as much detail as possible in the short time that we have. So you don't need to hear from me; you need to hear from them.
Like I said before, my name is Tom Carter and I'm in the Don't Fall Down in the Hood program for possession of a firearm. I am here today because I want to be a success and part of the solution. How I got the gun charge is because there was a fight because my friend robbed somebody. After the fight, everyone left. Me and my two friends and four girls were sitting on my dad's house on the steps. They got about 20 more people and were walking down the block towards my dad's house. I took my little cousin in the house and grabbed a 20-gauge shotgun. When I came out of the house, at first I said, What's up now? 51 1/30/07 - PUBLIC SAFETY - RES. 060971 And they ran around the block. As I went around the block after them, an undercover cop put a gun to my head and arrested me. I stayed in the 15th District for about a day, the Youth Study Center for about two days and St. Gabriel's for about two months. When I got out, they put me on house arrest and gave me 30 days to straighten up. During them 30 days, I was smoking marijuana. And once I went back to court, they put me in the Don't Fall Down in the Hood program and kept me on house arrest. My topic I would like to talk about today is, I think we need more choices, because not everybody is made for college. Some solutions that can be put in place are things like apprentice programs, co-ops and other training and certifications in schools that will get us better prepared to have successful lives. If we had options like these, it would keep young males like us off the 52 1/30/07 - PUBLIC SAFETY - RES. 060971 streets. If these programs were already available, I probably would have never been in the Don't Fall Down in the Hood program. I don't think I would be in the Don't Fall Down in the Hood program because I probably would have been at my job instead of in that fight or with that gun.
I'm Lonelle Parks and I'm here today because I want to be a success and part of the solution. The reason I'm here today is because I was caught with narcotics and a switchblade on school grounds. It was about 8:30 in the morning and I was cracking a dutch and the security guard walked up on me while I was sitting in the stairway. He took me down to the room and searched me. He found the narcotics in my pocket after I already emptied my pockets and I took my jacket off and put it on the chair. So they searched my jacket and found the knife. And my topic is, I think they 53 1/30/07 - PUBLIC SAFETY - RES. 060971 need to build more recreational centers for the youths. In our community we need more rec centers to come out to our communities all throughout Philadelphia to make sure younger children, 9, 10, 7 and 12 and so forth, would not be drawn 8 to the streets, gangs and drugs. Also, 9 it would see to it that the recreational 10 centers don't limit children to what they 11 want to do and let them act out showing how artistic they can be in whatever hobbies, interests, sports, performing arts and video games. Also to help them with school work when they don't have anyone else to turn to. I think rec centers should talk to these communities, take them out on trips, picnics, have meetings to show families of these communities that they really do care about making a difference for our future's youth so that families and people of the communities can come together to build a better Philadelphia, meaning knock down vacant houses to 54 1/30/07 - PUBLIC SAFETY - RES. 060971 restore them so that other families can move into the communities, having families put up their own murals in their own neighborhood to show the pride and the neighborhood's true colors. Thank you.
So when you said that if we have more rec centers and we can attract 9, 10, 11-year-old young people, you think that that's a key age to really kind of grab young people and do prevention?
Yes, because around that age, a lot of the youths, like they look to the streets because they don't see anything else, because a lot of these people have so many broken households that when they see other people doing it and they don't see any positivity going on in the streets, they just turn to the streets, because that's all that's out there for them.
What part of the city, where do you live? 55 1/30/07 - PUBLIC SAFETY - RES. 060971
Well, we have two recreational centers. Well, Tustin's Playground and Haddington's, but, of course, Haddington's had a lot of murders around there lately, and Tustin's Playground recreational center is not open but seasonal.
Okay. So you'd like to see that open year round, then?
Okay. Why do you think young people don't use recreation centers?
They don't use recreational centers, of course, because they don't think that it's safe there, because, you know, when they get in conflicts with people in school and in the communities, people, you know, they come to those recreational centers, they 56 1/30/07 - PUBLIC SAFETY - RES. 060971 go there just to find the same people, and the same thing goes on with what happened in the streets with them.
Like they think it's a waste of time to go to the rec centers because they're out like -- say they're hustling, they're making the money, they don't want to be in the rec centers.
What can we do to get them off the street from hustling and making their money?
Like I said, like the co-ops, because then they're going to want to like -- like Devin said, he said there ain't enough jobs. So the co-op, it gets them ready for the job. So if they're going to school, they're going to be ready for the job and then they'll have like more qualities that you need for that job. 57 1/30/07 - PUBLIC SAFETY - RES. 060971
You mean like the co-op education they have in schools?
Yeah. Like they'll have certain classes for learning about -- if you want to be a carpenter, you can learn about carpenter in the high schools.
Do you 58 1/30/07 - PUBLIC SAFETY - RES. 060971 still go?
Well, I'm thinking about getting into the Job Corps since I got kicked out of University City.
No. It's not in Germantown. I'm not even sure where it is. 59 1/30/07 - PUBLIC SAFETY - RES. 060971