Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker signed three public safety bills into law to combat nuisances and improve quality of life for residents on Wednesday afternoon.
“We will do everything that we possibly can to build a city that addresses immediate safety concerns and ultimately fosters long term community resilience,” Mayor Parker said.
Ban gambling machines
The first measure bans gambling machines in businesses and convenience stores without casino or liquor licenses.
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A gambling machine in the bill is defined as a “gambling or skill-based cash payout device.”
“It is not okay to tempt our residents from low and moderate neighborhoods with opportunities to gamble away their hard earned dollars,” Mayor Parker said. “It is not okay to give children purchasing candy an opportunity to gamble with their lunch money.”
Mayor Parker said this is a quality of life issue as there are people who wait outside gas stations in the middle of the night to rob people of the money they won from illegal gambling.
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Violators will be subject to a fine of $1,000 for each device they operate.
Crackdown on illegal license plate flippers
The second bill that was signed into law cracks down on the illegal “license plate flipper concept.” There are devices which allow drivers to quickly conceal their license plate number.
These had a direct connection to violence being committed in the city, particularly when it came to getaway cars using them, Mayor Parker said.
The bill will not only target drivers who use them on their cars but also auto shops that sell and install them and manufacturers of the device in the city of Philadelphia.
“These 007 devices belong in an action movie, they do not belong on the streets of our great city,” Mayor Parker said.
Curfew for businesses in Kensington
The third bill that was signed requires businesses in certain areas of Kensington to be close between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m.
“Gone are the days when you can fuel disorder in Kensington by operating your business into the wee hours of the morning,” Mayor Parker said. “We will not allow nuisance businesses to remain open all day and all night to prey on people with substance use disorder, suffering with addiction.”
The bill won’t apply to bars and businesses with liquor licenses.
The areas of Kensington that will have to abide by this new bill is stated in the bill as “East Lehigh Ave, Kensington Ave, D St, E Tioga St and Frankford Ave.”
Businesses that violate this bill could face a fine of $500 for each offense for each day the violation continues.
The mayor said her administration will not tolerate chaos and disorder in the city.
“Today’s bill signing signifies our collective commitment to ensuring that Philadelphia is literally a safer, cleaner and greener city with access to economic opportunity for all,” Parker said.
