“Working with our local, state and federal partners and after months of study, we have put together a series of tough measures to reduce violent crime in Philadelphia. We’re going after the criminals who carry illegal guns and we’re empowering citizens to help the police identify these domestic terrorists,” said Mayor Nutter. “We’re offering large cash rewards, using technology in new ways in the fight against crime and immediately putting more police on the streets using overtime funds.”

At the announcement, Mayor Nutter and city officials outlined a series of new, specific crime fighting measures:

1. Enforcement of Sections 6106 and 6108 of Title 18. Pennsylvania’s Crime Code has strict illegal gun regulations (6106, 6108). District Attorney Seth Williams will work with the courts to ensure that individuals caught possessing illegal guns are prosecuted to the full extent of the law, which could mean a jail sentence of up to seven years.

“I have been shocked and saddened by the violent and truly senseless crimes that have taken place over the past few weeks,” said District Attorney Seth Williams. “As a proud Philadelphian, I am going to make sure that the actions of a few low-lifes don’t create a permanent black eye for the many hard working law abiding citizens here. Know this: The police will find you and when they do I will be throwing the book at you. I look forward to working with both the Mayor and Commissioner Ramsey in trying to make our streets safer, and I urge all Philadelphians to step up and be a part of the solution.”

2. Use of incentives to increase arrests and convictions. The Police Department will use a new, systematic approach to cash rewards as an incentive to build cases.
The City of Philadelphiawill offer up to $20,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone in a homicide case.

The City of Philadelphia will offer a $500 reward for tips leading to the arrest and conviction of a person carrying an illegal gun.

3. Increase the lines of communication between citizens and the Philadelphia Police Department. In order to elicit tips from the public to assist the police, new, technology based measures will begin to complement existing crime reporting methods. However, contacting 9-1-1 is always the most effective way to report a crime.

Modeled after effective programs in Washington, D.C., New York City, Boston, Baltimore and Los Angeles, the City is launching a program that will allow citizens to anonymously send text message tips directly to the police department using a vanity code.

In addition, citizens will be able to e-mail tips, photos and videos directly to the police department. This program is currently available. E-mails should be sent to tips@phillypolice.com.

Soon, the faces of Philadelphia’s most wanted criminals will air on Channel 64,will be tweeted and facebooked to increase tips to the police in support of efforts to apprehend these criminals.
“The City is taking very important steps today to bring the Philadelphia Police Department closer to the community,” said Commissioner Ramsey. “We cannot do it alone, however. If we want to interrupt the cycle of violence that is plaguing some of our communities, then we must all play a part in helping to prevent and solve crime.”

4. Increase funding to the Victim/Witness Assistance Program. Effective immediately, the City will double the funding for the Witness Assistance Program, which works with the District Attorney’s office to protect citizens who come forward as witnesses to a crime. Funding will rise from $200,000 to $400,000.

5. Launch of a new video surveillance program. The City will launch a new program that will provide citizens and businesses with financial support to install exterior surveillance video cameras to observe public spaces. Specifications on this program will be released soon.

6. Launch of Gun Stat program. Commissioner Ramsey and District Attorney Williams will co-chair the Gun Stat program, a collaborative effort to reduce gun violence using data-based tracking of gun violence, focusing on targeted high violence areas.

Gun Stat is an enhancement to the crime analysis work the Police Department is already using. It is designed after the Crime Briefings strategy from 2008. It will focus on identifying violent offenders, gun crimes, arrests and results through the court system. It will facilitate better tracking of persons on probation or parole.

Criminal justice, law enforcement and community partners, including Probation, Parole and Prisons, will assist in the Gun Stat program.

7. Re-launch of Operation Pressure Point initiative as Pressure Point 2.0. Pressure Point 2.0 will re-launch in April 2012 and run though October 2012 as a multi-agency law enforcement and crime reduction initiative lead by the Philadelphia Police Department.

Pressure Point 2.0 leverages the resources of different law enforcement and criminal justice organizations at the local, state and federal level. Through coordinated intelligence efforts and targeted deployment strategies to reduce violent crime in high crime areas.

Participating agencies include: Philadelphia Police Department, United States Marshals, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, First Judicial District of Pennsylvania Warrant Unit, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, United States Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Program, Philadelphia Juvenile Probation Department, City of Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, and the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board.

8. Anti-violence initiatives with community organizations through the Mayor’s Engaging Communities Dialogue. Community organizations partner and/or fund anti-violence initiatives across the City. In order to improve coordination between these organizations and the City of Philadelphia, a meeting called the Mayor’s Engaging Communities Dialogue will be held in March 2012.

“Our goal is to create an RFP process that will help us to determine which groups to fund. We need more for each dollar we spend and this process is going to help us get there,” said Mayor Nutter.

9. Increase police presence. In order to combat rising violence, the immediate authorization of additional overtime for police officers has been approved by Mayor Nutter for use in high-crime areas. In addition, a new cadet police class of up to 100 will enter the police academy in June 2012.

WHERE: City Hall, Mayor’s Reception Room, Room 202

WHEN: Friday, January 27 11:00am

WHAT: Mayor Nutter and public safety leaders will make an announcement regarding a community focused agenda highlighting prevention, intervention and collaboration.

WHERE: Strawberry Mansion High School, 3133 Ridge Avenue, Main Foyer

WHEN: Thursday, January 26, 2012 2:00 pm TODAY

WHAT: Secretary Vilsack and Mayor Nutter will meet with business leaders, nonprofit organizations, and community members to discuss President Obama’s State of the Union address and its impact nationally and locally.

The Secretary and Mayor will be available for a public media availability immediately following the roundtable discussion.

WHERE: City Hall, Conversation Hall, Room 201

WHEN: Thursday, January 26, 2012 11:30 am

“I applaud President Obama’s determination to strengthen the economy, create family-sustaining jobs, and reaffirm America’s commitment to the middle class. As the President emphasized, we need to bring manufacturing jobs back to the United States, invest in education, and ensure a fair opportunity for all Americans to succeed. Millions of Americans are still hurting, and job creation is imperative.

“The President understands that providing the best education for our children is a commitment to the future of our nation. It is time to stand with the President as we work together to uphold America’s promise—if you work hard, you can provide a good life for your family and save for your future.”

“Philadelphia is a city that has raised world-class performers such as Teddy Pendergrass, Marian Anderson, John Coltrane, Boyz II Men and The Roots,” said Mayor Nutter. “But for every performer, there are dozens who helped them to succeed. Becoming trained in music production is a marketable skill that young people in the Point Breeze neighborhood can learn about right in their backyard. I would like to thank PHA for partnering with us to open this facility. I would also like to thank PhillyRising and the community for using their imagination and beginning this program.”

“PHA is thrilled to partner with the City and local music professionals to open the Philadelphia Youth Music Program at our Wilson Park development. I want to thank Mayor Nutter, the PhillyRising Collaborative and McFadden Music Productions for their hard work and commitment to improving neighborhoods,” said PHA Executive Director Michael P. Kelly. “One of our goals at PHA is to provide our residents with opportunities for training and advancement. Programs like this enrich the lives of participants and offer youth a start on the road to a fulfilling music career.”

PYMP will be managed by PhillyRising and Dominic McFadden of McFadden Music Productions. Music production training will be provided by professionals donating their time to PYMP including members of the Philadelphia Chapter of the Grammy Association, producers and engineers of major record label executives, and sound and stage professionals. Program participants will include young people who are PHA residents, currently in the juvenile justice system, or living in the Point Breeze neighborhood.

“PhillyRising is about working with the available resources in the neighborhood to effect positive change, and PYMP is an example of how creative we can be when we work together,” said Deputy Mayor and Managing Director Rich Negrin. “John Farrell and his team are doing wonderful work in this neighborhood and in communities across the city, and I’m looking forward to seeing what these young people can accomplish when they are given the tools to make top quality music.”

The Wilson Park Recreation Center was rehabilitated by PHA in 2005 and includes a ballet quality dance studio, video recording equipment, a computer center, basketball court, culinary facility and outdoor amphitheater with sound and video presentation. Through its partnership with PhillyRising, PHA is making the facility accessible to at-risk youth throughout South Philadelphia.

Saturday’s concert performers were Rell, who is also the recording artist of PhillyRising’s theme song, Julien ‘Believe’ Thompson, Megan Nicolle, David Stevens, PHI.GI and LP Stiles.

Dominic McFadden, of McFadden Productions, added, “I am looking forward to working with these young people and teaching the skills they’ll need to participate in the music industry. This studio is top of the line, and it will be a safe place for these young people to discover the joys of music.”

PhillyRising has designed a monthly schedule of youth-related activities in South Philadelphia to address the community’s request to create more youth programming. Community members stressed that the lack of youth engagement in Point Breeze has resulted more young people engaging in violent crime. Based on these insights, PhillyRising organized stakeholders with the following resources: available facilities to conduct programming and volunteers to run the programs. PhillyRising now has initiated a free monthly movie night at the Dixon House, the Rising Sons after-school and college prep programs, Point Breeze PAL center, Christian street YMCA Y Achievers program and many other activities through collaborations with the Department of Parks & Recreation.

“Today, the new School Reform Commission has taken swift and decisive action to address a very serious fiscal problem. This is not the time for small, incremental change. For the District to move past this mounting crisis, we need new ideas and new people to implement a recovery plan. And that is what the SRC members have announced today.

“I strongly support this carefully considered plan, and I applaud the naming of Thomas Knudsen as Chief Recovery Officer. Tom has proven to be very effective in helping large public entities recover from fiscal and operational crises. I also want to thank the many School District employees who during these difficult times have consistently put the needs of Philadelphia school children ahead of any other concerns.”

Licenses and Inspections Commissioner Fran Burns stated, “These changes are not only part of the ongoing reform and focus on supporting business development, but also a step towards ensuring a sustainable and competitive future for Philadelphia and its residents. I am excited to support this energy option since solar panel systems decrease dependence on fossil fuels and reduce the risks of rising energy costs in the long-run.”

Commenting, Councilman Jim Kenney said, “Today we move Philadelphia in the right direction, towards a more sustainable and greener future, while also encouraging economic development and job creation. As we continue down this green path, we must be open to further innovation and development of cleaner fuel sources.”

Passed by Council and signed into law by Mayor Nutter in the 2011 Term, Bills 110533 and 110829 amend the Code to exclude the costs of solar panels and inverters in calculating electrical permit and building permit fees when a photovoltaic system is installed.

In 2009, the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability released the landmark Greenworks report, setting a variety of sustainability goals, including a key target of purchasing and generating 20 percent of electricity used in Philadelphia from alternative energy sources. The passage and implementation of these code amendments are important steps towards meeting the vision of Greenworks — to make Philadelphia the Greenest City in the United States.

Good afternoon.

Rev. Estrada thank you very much for opening the doors of the Bethel Community Church.

To all of the folks who are assembled here with us this evening.

I’ve been in, in one way, shape or form, I’ve been in public life probably now close to 30 years. Not all elected. But I’ve been around.

Been an elected official nearly 20. I’ve seen a few things in my time.

Many of you know my story of course. I’m a son of Philadelphia. Born, raised, educated, created a little bit of trouble in this town. I grew up in West Philadelphia. I’m from here. This is my city.

I’m fortunate to be the 98th Mayor of my hometown.

It is personally painful what we go through day to day.

Personal.

I’m a father of two. I’ve a sixteen year old daughter, a junior in high school. And a twenty-eight year old son. So I know a little bit about parenting. I try to be the best father that I can be.

I’ve had to talk to parents who’ve lost children. I’ve talked to children who’ve lost parents. Grandmothers and grandfathers, brothers and sisters, and nieces and nephews.

It’s a city of children.

It’s a day of love, peace, celebrating the life and the legacy and the work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., himself a man of great peace, cut down in the prime of his life by violence.

When will enough be enough.

Dante’s grandmother is here with us. God bless you ma’am.

I cannot say I know how you feel. I wouldn’t insult you that way. But I have a little bit of a sense of it.

I saw the faces of children last Wednesday. Went to two schools. Kensington Culinary. Bracetti School.

I saw young people crying, knowing that someone that they had just gone to school with, was now dead. Dante. Javier. Joshua. Aaron, shot in the neck.

No reason. No excuse. No explaining it. You can’t explain it.

Over the weekend, Saturday afternoon I was at a memorial service for the son of one of our public employees, Lance Haver. He and his wife Lisa, their son Darren, four years ago a senseless shooting that paralyzed him from the shoulders down. Basically in bed, or on a gurney for four years. He passed away last month.

They had a memorial service for him on Saturday afternoon. And we listened for probably an hour and forty-five minutes to all kinds of stories about his life and about things he did. And some were funny and some were crazy and some were somewhere in between.

You think about those parents who will never have more of those moments with their child. Shot for no reason.

And then Friday into Saturday, and we all know now into Sunday’s newspaper, Kevin Kless, a twenty-three year old Temple student, excited to be in Philadelphia, excited about his job, apparently a really funny guy, a lot of friends.

About four hours ago I talked to his mother, because that’s what I do as Mayor. I talk to grieving parents and children and family members.

And I said to her, I can’t, there’s really nothing I can say to you, there’s nothing to say. I’m sorry, we’re in pain, we’re suffering but yours is worse. We’ll do our best – Deputy Commissioner Wright, Police Commissioner Ramsey, Captain Vanore – we’ll do our best to find these people who did this because there’s no explaining what they did.

All of this, all of this. It would be like if I took my coat off and you sliced and stabbed and poked holes in this fabric. At some point in time the seams won’t hold it together, the fabric won’t hold together any more.

That’s what’s happening in this city. The fabric of our human nature is being ripped apart, piece by piece by piece, thread by thread. Pulled apart.

And what happens? At some point you don’t have a fabric anymore. You don’t have a jacket anymore. You don’t have a quilt of humanity in this city anymore, if we continue to let these kinds of things to happen.

Now, the Police Department has a role. I get that. And yes we’re hiring more officers and yes there’ll be more officers on the street.

But how many more officers would we have had to have 10:30 last Tuesday night to stop that. How would we know that someone would wait in an alley for seven teenagers in a car, and then shoot it up as if it was a video game or a movie. How would we do that? How would we know that someone would do something like that in this city? What program would we have in place, what is the mindset of people who do things like that?

Well I don’t know. Because that’s just evil. And I don’t know what else to do with evil, but to try and snatch it out of here. And we have to stand as a city and finally say, enough is enough. I can’t take this anymore. I refuse to accept this anymore.

We caught the guy, as I knew we would. And then he gave the gun to somebody else, who we now can’t find. We know his name and I bet somebody else does too. And I bet somebody knows not only who he is, but where he is. When are we going to start speaking out and end our silence? Because every day that that person is running around, or the other person is running around, or somebody else is running around and hurting somebody else that we don’t even know, that’s another day that everyone of us in this room and a million other people in this city are still in danger.

We have to create an environment where people don’t do the things that they do anymore. That someone won’t pick up that illegal gun. We have to have an environment and a mindset that says none of our children should be without their parents and none of our parents should be without their children, and grandparents, and aunts and uncles. The pain and the suffering.

Every time one of these situations happens the first thing I think about is suppose that was one of my children. Suppose someone tried to snatch my daughter away from me or take my son away from me. I know how I would feel. I think. I’m not exactly sure.

That’s what this is really about. Stop it. Stop it. Stop it. You’re ripping out the heart and soul and the guts and the brains and everything else that makes us human out of this city. That’s what’s really going on. And we have to stand up to it and we cannot be afraid of it any longer.

If you see something, say something. If you know something, tell it.

The robbing, the shooting, the stealing, the beating up, the theft.

It may not have happened to you but it happened to somebody. And we’re here at Bethel. And if we can’t be each others brothers and sisters keepers here, then they can’t be anywhere. It is painful, it hurts, whether you know the person or not, that this kind of death and destruction takes place in THIS city.

And I refuse to believe that Philadelphians are so much different, are so much more murderous, are so much more violent, are so much more vicious than people in New York or Boston or Los Angeles or San Francisco or Atlanta or Chicago or San Diego or anywhere else.

We’re Philadelphians. Unfortunately we’ve gotten off to a really bad start. We’re only halfway through the month. And if we can’t be non-violent on THIS day. A man who suffered, died, so that all of us could be free. So that each and every one of us could have the positions that we have today.

If we can’t be non-violent then I don’t know what day we’re waiting for. And if we can be non-violent today then let us be non-violent tomorrow. What about Wednesday? Carry it on to Thursday. How about Friday and Saturday? And maybe even Sunday. And then we can start over next Monday.

We can be non-violent as much as we want to be non-violent because that decision is within each and every one of us at any moment. And so when that person looks at you and you don’t like the way they looked, how about if you turn away. Maybe somebody did talk to your girl or your guy. Maybe you let that one slide.

I’m begging our parents please pay more and more attention to what’s going on with our children. Not your children. With our children. Facebook and Twitter. Texting and all this other kind of stuff. More than likely you’re probably paying the bill. Well at least, when I grew up, not that we had any of that stuff, that gave my mother the right to check my stuff. Because as long as I was living in that house, I didn’t own anything. I just happened to be living there. Just happened to be living there. As long as I was under that roof.

Our children may be growing up, but they’re not grown. And you’re still in charge. That’s what parenting is all about. It’s not like it was on Leave it to Beaver. That was on TV. This is hard, cold stuff here. The world has changed since I was a kid. I get that. It’s more complicated, more vicious, more controversial, more stuff that our children are exposed to each and every day. Somehow we’ve become almost de-sensitized to the things that go on. ‘Oh so-and-so got hurt yesterday. Oh so-and-so got shot. Ok, what’s happening with the Sixers?’

We cannot lose our humanness. Because if we lose our humanness we are in fact less humane, we are in fact less civil, we will care less about what happens next until it happens to us. That’s what the interconnectedness is all about. That’s what the beloved society is all about. That’s what Dr King was talking about. The worst of tragedies has brought us here together today. Let it not be for nothing. Let it not have no meaning. I know that was not great English! Let’s make sure it has meaning. Let’s make sure that whatever comes out of this, that there’s a renewed sense of spirit and oneness. That this really is one city. That this is one community. That this is one Philadelphia and that we can fight back.

The year is young. We have a whole lot more days to go before the story is written. So don’t let anybody start talking about ‘Oh my goodness, it started off so bad and this is the way it’s going to be the rest of the year’. That’s not possible. It’s not possible.

And the rest of this year, because for all of us tomorrow is the first day of the rest of our collective lives. We get to decide what tomorrow is about. We get to decide how bright it is. We get to decide whether these young people really do have a future, all these children who are in this house tonight.

And there’ll be some more information after this. And it is about a rising city. It is about a city that’s coming back. It is about a city that’s willing to fight for itself and it’s own future. House by house. Block by block. Neighborhood by neighborhood. Community by community.

That’s what this is about. That’s what wakes me up in the morning. That’s what I think about right before I go to sleep at night. I’m going to keep fighting. Every day. But I can’t do it by myself. And the people up here can’t do it by themselves. It requires all of us to work together in a spirit of peace and harmony. All these other battles that go on, all of these other inter-personal things that go on, this can’t be about personalities. This has to be about people and it has to be about the children of this city. They listen to us and they watch us. And they listen to what we say and they watch what we do and they’re smart enough to know the distance between them. They are human sponges. And you wonder, why they may say something a year from now. Where did that come from? Well more than likely they heard it at home, heard it on the TV, they heard it at school or they heard it in the street, but they got it from somewhere. And now it’s coming right back at you, and you don’t know why.

Let us treat them with peace. Let us not abuse our children. Let us not beat them up. Let us find a new way of communicating with them. That violence is not the way you solve each and every problem. We wonder why sometimes they’re doing the things they’re doing in the street? Let us be honest with each other. Because they see some of the same things at home.

When that situation happened, when our young people were killed the other night, when I got home Wednesday night I went right down in that basement, my daughter was studying, went right over to her and gave her a big hug. And of course being a sixteen year old she was ‘Daddy, what is wrong with you? What is that all about?’ I needed that. I needed that. I needed the reaffirmation of that connection back to her based on what had happened in the course of that day. Because I am still in pain and I’m not ashamed to admit it. I am still in pain, as the leader of this city.

Because before I had this job, and before I had the other job, and before I had the other job, I had the most important job I’m ever gonna have in my life. And that’s being a father. That’s my job. That’s my big job. All the other things are secondary to that job.

And so I want you to join me whether you have a child or not, because you have children out here and we’re all responsible for them. These are our children whether you have one or not, whether they’re grown 35-40 years old or whether they’re three. Whether you’re a grandmother and you think you raised all your kids and everything, you think you’re going to ride off into the sunset. Not possible.

Let us reconnect with our community. Let us reconnect with our children. Let us reaffirm to them that we love them, that we care about them, that we will protect them each and every day. That from the moment they wake up we will give them love, we will hold them close, even when they upset us. And they have a unique way of really upsetting us from time to time. There’s no one who can upset you as much as a child can. It appears to be their job to keep us on edge each and every day. And our job is to love them anyway. And raise them right. And if you want that child to grow up and be a successful adult here in the city of Philadelphia you have to pay a whole lot more time and attention to them.

And the last thing I’m going to say is, TV, and I watch TV and my daughter watches TV, and video games and computers, all very interesting. Can even be instructional. And they ask for stuff all the time – the xbox, they want this, and new jeans, and gotta get the Jordans. You know what they really want? You know what they really want? They want you. They want you. It’s just like that credit card commercial says. You get this and you get that and what’s that last one? Priceless. It’s priceless what you can do with them. All they want is a little bit of time and a little bit of attention. All they want to know is that you love them and care about them and will protect them from all this evilness out there.

Well that’s what uniting our neighborhoods is all about. We’re recommitted and you’re going to hear something about that tonight. I’m not giving up. Yes I’m angry and yes I’m in pain. But as the Reverend said earlier, you have to then take that and channel that and take that raw energy that raw emotion and you funnel it, and it’s powerful.

So I’m reenergized and I’m ready to work. And I need all of you to join in this massive effort to turn this city around in peace, love and hope for this great city called Philadelphia.

God bless you.