PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A Philadelphia council member is calling for more cops in neighborhoods and funding to bolster police recruitment as part of a detailed community safety plan to address crime.
Councilmember Cherelle Parker’s five-tier plan calls for increased funding for police ahead of City Council’s budget negotiations. It proposes adding at least 125 more police officers, in addition to filling the 175 open positions, as a first priority.
Once those 300 officers have been hired, she said police should be dispersed across every community and business corridor regardless of crime rates.
“Communities will never be safe if they don’t trust law enforcement. At the same time, communities will never trust law enforcement if the only time they see them is when they’re responding to crime,” she said. “Community policing is the key to building trust and the key to keeping communities safe.
“It’s only when our people are able to very tangibly see, touch and feel that the presence and safety of their neighborhoods are changed when they are able to see law enforcement present in their communities,” she continued. “And they’re not responding to a crime, but they’re there proactively helping to strengthen and build relationships with communities, neighbors and business owners. That is something for us to look forward to.”
One of Parker’s five tiers addresses “quality of life” issues, including cracking down on ATVs and dirt bikes on streets, increasing funding for police cameras, improving licenses and inspections for securing vacant buildings, and cleaning up neighborhoods and business corridors.
In efforts to boost recruitment, Parker recommends spending $1 million to recruit new officers for a more diverse force. Councilmember Derek Green is also proposing legislation to address staff shortages with a $10,000 sign-on bonus per officer.
Parker did not say exactly how much the plan will cost in all, noting “some spending amounts may require an audit to assess need.”
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Several other city leaders are on board, including Councilmembers Curtis Jones, Mark Squilla, Isaiah Thomas and Katherine Gilmore Richardson, Council President Darrell Clarke, and District Attorney Larry Krasner.
The mayor’s office said it supports parts of the proposal and looks forward to working with Parker and the rest of City Council to pass a budget in June.