Kenney Won't Declare a Citywide Emergency for Philly's Gun Violence

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With the city on pace to have its deadliest year on record, Mayor Jim Kenney said he doesn’t plan on declaring a citywide emergency for Philadelphia’s surging gun violence, arguing that a declaration would have no impact in strengthening his administration’s current anti-violence initiatives.

More than 300 people have been killed in Philadelphia in 2021. Over the weekend, dozens of people, including a 1-year-old boy, were injured in at least 37 separate shootings. 

Last year, city council approved a resolution introduced by councilmember Jamie Gauthier (3rd District) calling for Mayor Kenney to declare a citywide emergency due to the gun violence crisis.

After Governor Andrew Cuomo issued the first-in-the-nation Executive Order declaring gun violence in New York as a Disaster Emergency earlier this month, some wondered if Kenney would follow suit and declare one of his own for Philadelphia. 

In a letter sent to Gauthier on Monday however, Kenney wrote that he would not make the declaration. 

“I agree with you that the public deserved greater transparency and communication about the administration’s commitment to anti-violence and I’m pleased that these are now occurring,” Kenney wrote. “But, after serious consideration I believe the simple declaration of some emergency or disaster akin to that signed by Governor Andrew Cuomo for the state of New York is not a solution that will demonstrably change conditions in Philadelphia for several reasons.”

While Kenney acknowledged that calls for a disaster or emergency declaration are meant to unlock additional resources, he also said the city had already done so by allocating over $150 million to gun violence prevention in the recently approved 2022 budget. 

“This money is independent of the hundreds of millions of dollars the City already spends on solving some of the deeper root causes of violence,” Kenney wrote. “The funding does include over $20 million in money for community-based organizations working to intercede and stop violence before it occurs, and substantial new funding for job opportunities for those at the highest risk of committing or being a victim of violence.”

Kenney also said he’d welcome additional state resources and changes to regulations that “stem access and the flow of illegal guns.” 

“I have discussed this with the Governor directly, and my Administration is working closely with Attorney General Shapiro on the issue of illegal guns,” Kenney wrote.

Kenney also refuted arguments that an emergency declaration would lead to a more coordinated response to gun violence. 

“The reality is that our Administration has been working to address violence in a coordinated fashion for several years, dating back to the release of the first Roadmap to Safer Communities in 2019, with further refinement with the updated Roadmap release this past April,” he wrote. “Every week I meet with a team of officials from the Philadelphia Police Department, Managing Director’s Office, Office of Children and Families, Philadelphia Department of Public Health, and other departments to hear directly about our on the ground work and our progress and setbacks.”

Kenney also acknowledged that there were areas to improve and that he planned on deepening the Philadelphia Department of Public Health’s coordination and reporting role in their efforts against gun violence. 

“That said, a disaster or emergency declaration would have no discernible impact on strengthening what is already a highly collaborative and innovative approach to addressing this public health crisis,” Kenney wrote.

Kenney also addressed Philadelphia's participation in a national initiative made up of 15 cities across the country that would see participating municipalities collaborate on violence intervention strategies.

“I have spoken personally with President Biden on the urgent need for new and enhanced approaches, and Philadelphia is participating in the White House’s Community Violence Intervention (CVI) Collaborative,” Kenney wrote. 

Read Kenney's entire letter here.

There are additional resources for people or communities that have endured gun violence in Philadelphia. Further information can be found here.