We need to talk about stop-and-frisk, says City Council president

On July 4, as the city lit up with fireworks over the Philadelphia Museum of Art, two police officers were struck by bullets falling from the sky. Fortunately, the officers weren’t badly hurt. But it was another stain on our city, struggling under a wave of shootings, homicides, and too many events and neighborhoods where people don’t feel safe.

There are neighborhoods in my Council district in North Philadelphia — and too many neighborhoods across the city — that are hit hard by gun violence almost every night, fueled by individuals who use firearms illegally. The people who live in these neighborhoods have the right to feel safe as they sit on their porches, walk to the corner store, or send their children to school. They need relief from the constant fear caused by illegal guns.

These residents don’t live on South Street or the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, and the shootings they experience on a near-nightly basis don’t get covered by national networks, or even at times by local news, either. These Philadelphians’ voices deserve to be heard.

These residents ask all the time: “How did Mayor Nutter and Commissioner Ramsey drive down homicides and shootings? When are we going to talk about stop-and-frisk?”

» READ MORE: Bring back stop-and-frisk? With shootings soaring, some on Philly City Council say the controversial tactic merits another look.

In 2013, when Michael Nutter was mayor and Charles H. Ramsey was our police commissioner, Philadelphia recorded the lowest number of homicides since 1968. One of the tactics they used was stop-and-frisk, among other strategies.

As a district councilmember, I don’t have the luxury of ignoring the pleas and cries of my constituents by simply issuing press statements or posting to social media. My residents are pleading with us to help them.

As I said at a recent news conference, there needs to be a conversation around stop-and-frisk — as practiced constitutionally, meaning a police officer must have “reasonable suspicion” before stopping anyone. Philadelphia police perform these stops — known as “Terry stops” — on a regular basis.

No one is advocating a return to the controversial days when police singled people out because of how they look or dress. Police must have cause to make the stop. This is America.

“No one is advocating a return to the controversial days when police singled people out because of how they look or dress.”

There is a disconnect in communication between community residents and police about Terry stops, and that is a serious issue that needs addressing.

As councilmembers, we don’t enforce the law, and we don’t make criminal laws. But we can advocate for a serious conversation around appropriate law enforcement strategies, and urge that people in the community be made part of the conversation.

There are other strategies that should be considered to enhance public safety, and Council leadership and I outlined several at that recent news conference after the Parkway incident.

There should be better enforcement of existing laws against illegal possession of firearms. We also should consider increasing the use of security cameras near recreation centers and schools — where too often violence occurs. And the use of drones to fight crime — a strategy used by major police departments — should be considered as well.

Council has made sizable, unprecedented investments in public safety and violence prevention in recent years. It appropriated funds for community-based violence reduction, and for community evening resource centers to give youth an alternative to the streets. We created a 211 Violence Prevention Hotline. We have ongoing litigation with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania over the legislature’s failure to enact stronger gun laws.

The people who live in our neighborhoods have a constitutional right to life and liberty, and they are asking us to help keep them safe. They also have the right to be heard.

We are not going to fix these problems alone. The 17 members of City Council, the mayor, the police commissioner, and the District Attorney’s Office need to be on the same page, working together to ensure Philadelphia remains a safe place to live and raise a family in peace.

Darrell L. Clarke is the president of Philadelphia City Council.