HARRISBURG – June 17, 2019 – Following a senseless act of violence on Father’s Day, and scores of other homicides in the city of Philadelphia and across the state, Senator Anthony H. Williams sent a letter to Governor Tom Wolf asking for a state of emergency on the issue of gun violence.
“I think we’re well past the point when those of us who are elected to lead are always reacting,” said Senator Williams. “We must restore some level of public confidence by addressing this epidemic proactively.”
Last weekend, there were 19 shootings in the City of Philadelphia, leaving five dead and 28 wounded.
Senator Williams requested the following steps:
- We should declare some form of a state of emergency/crisis immediately.
- I along with other interested and responsible parties be convened immediately to begin a coordinated and compassionate response to this crisis. Several issues can and should be addressed:
- Increase temporary law enforcement presence in affected communities (while removing the elements of law enforcement known to have intolerant views) to abate some level of violence and reduce the high level of anxiety in these neighborhoods.
- Collaboration and coordination on grant approvals for community anti-violence programs at both the local and state levels.
- Redirecting funding currently given to larger institutions to “study” violence to create a fully-funded crisis intervention akin to that of the 1970s, along with other proven, data-driven models.
You can read the senator’s full letter to Governor Wolf here.