PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philadelphia’s chief public safety officer ran into some headwinds on Tuesday when he appeared before City Council for budget hearings. Some Council members appeared skeptical about the office’s major initiatives.
Public Safety Chief Adam Geer was proud to report that someone who’d been adjudicated in the pilot Wellness Court — a major piece of Mayor Cherelle Parker’s Kensington plan — was already through treatment and in the city-owned Riverview Recovery Center — another part of the plan.
“The connection has been made and I think that’s incredible,” said Geer.
But Council member Nic O’Rourke was unimpressed. He said there were “red flags” about the plan’s effectiveness and pressed for more data, which Geer said seemed unfair given that the program is only nine weeks old.
“I reject the notion that there’s problematic and all this stuff,” he said, before being interrupted by O’Rourke, who accused him of not answering his concerns.
Other Council members joined O’Rourke in asking for more data, noting Parker is seeking another $100 million for the wellness center with no evidence of its effectiveness. Geer stuck to his guns and later said it was just part of the process.
“We’re all just really passionate about the work and want the right outcomes,” he said.