City Council wants something better than a gun buyback program that returns ‘a musket that was used in the Revolutionary War’ | Council roundup

Gun buyback programs are often criticized for primarily attracting firearms that are not likely to be used in crimes.

So Councilmember Curtis Jones Jr. on Thursday introduced a resolution calling on the city to explore an approach to getting guns off the streets known as consent-to-search.

“We spend a lot of money on gun buybacks. But what we get is a musket that was used in the Revolutionary War,” Jones said.

» READ MORE: Opinion: Gun buybacks don’t cut crime. Here is what might.

Consent-to-search, which St. Louis experimented with in the 1990s, involves law enforcement asking homeowners in high-crime areas for permission to search their homes for firearms that they may not know are there, such as those stashed by their children or other family members. In exchange, the officers promise not to prosecute them for possessing illegal weapons.

“No questions asked,” as Jones put it.

The St. Louis experiment has been praised. Property owners gave consent for the searches in 98% of cases, and police found guns about half of the time, getting hundreds of weapons off the streets.

But what happens if the guns are later linked to previous crimes through ballistics evidence?

“That is a challenge because it’s hard to un-see what you saw,” Jones said. “But we need to work out that detail because if we tell a person ... ‘No questions asked,’ that’s what it’s got to be.”

Jones’ three wishes: Council’s agenda was light this week, but it included three symbolic resolutions in which Jones laid out three wishes for the holiday season.

In addition to calling on the administration to explore consent-to-search, he asked the Pennsylvania Senate to pass a bill recognizing Eid al-Fitr as a state holiday, and he urged the Baseball Writers of America to induct Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley into the Hall of Fame.

» READ MORE: Chase Utley on 2024 Baseball Hall of Fame ballot for first chance at Cooperstown

No argument here. All resolutions passed in unanimous voice votes.

Bills and goodbyes: Council will hold its final meeting of this four-year term next week. That means there will be dozens of bills and resolutions teed up for the final session.

The new Council will be sworn in along with the new mayor, Cherelle Parker, at a special inaugural meeting on Jan. 2.

» READ MORE: Darrell Clarke’s nearly 25 years on City Council shaped how Philly was built

Next week will also be the final meeting for Council President Darrell L. Clarke, who was first elected to represent the North Philly-based 5th District in 1999 and who has led the chamber since 2012.

Councilmember Kenyatta Johnson is expected to succeed Clarke as president.

Fond farewell: Because next week is expected to be dominated by farewells to Clarke, Councilmember Isaiah Thomas made a point this week of recognizing the other Council member who will be leaving office in January: Sharon Vaughn.

» READ MORE: She worked behind the scenes in City Hall for 33 years. Now, Sharon Vaughn is poised to be Philly’s next Council member.

Vaughn won her seat in a November 2022 special election for Council seats that had been vacated by members who resigned to run in this year’s mayoral election. One of those former members was Derek Green, who ended up dropping out of the Democratic primary for mayor and endorsing the eventual winner, Parker.

Vaughn was a longtime staffer for Green before effectively finishing out his term. During the special election, she promised not to run for reelection.

“I hope we had some fun,” Vaughn said. “I want you all to know that my relationships with you have grown tremendously, and I appreciate you very much.”