Nutter says Street should declare state of emergency

[LorDiego01]

Originally Posted by Philly.com

It could cover only high-crime areas, the candidate said. Faulting the mayor, he also urged other antiviolence ideas.
By Marcia Gelbart
Inquirer Staff Writer

In a week marked by Philadelphia's 300th homicide of the year, Democratic mayoral candidate Michael Nutter said Mayor Street should declare a state of emergency in pockets of the city that have endured the worst violence.

Such action, according to the city code, would allow the government to clear people from public sidewalks, close bars, prohibit liquor sales, and establish curfews for children and adults alike.

The proposal topped several crime-fighting ideas Nutter pushed in an interview this week. Others included policing more aggressively to recover illegal weapons and encouraging experienced officers to postpone retirement.

Saying he was angered and sorrowed by the escalating violence, the former 15-year city councilman also sharply criticized Street for failing to create a sense of urgency to stop the killings and for providing little of what Nutter saw as long-lasting, comprehensive solutions.

Nutter's actions hint at a piece of his overall campaign strategy, which is to position himself as an anti-status quo candidate.

"I don't think the mayor is doing anything other than trying to mount a public-relations campaign to make it look like he's doing something, and the bodies keep dropping," said Nutter, who resigned in July and is, for now, the sole declared candidate in the May mayoral primary.

Under the city code, the mayor can declare a state of emergency if he or she finds any part of the city is "in imminent danger of suffering civil disturbance, disorder, riot or other occurrence" that may harm residents.

Nutter believes that time is now. "We had a summer of slaughter in this city, and there's been no effective response," he said.

Based on his conversations with neighborhood organizations as he campaigns, Nutter said of Street: "I think many citizens are increasingly wondering whether he knows what to do, or is prepared to do what needs to be done."

Street, told of Nutter's comments, said only: "He'll have plenty of time to talk about what he would do as mayor, as is true of all the candidates."

Administration officials and others close to the mayor said Street did not want to engage in a feud that, they believe, Nutter would try to use to draw attention to his campaign.

Nutter's comments came as officials across the city were taking steps to show they are actively looking for solutions to the shootings and homicides.

But among his peers - particularly the six other Democrats thinking of joining him on the ballot - Nutter is the only one to blame the mayor squarely.

"If they stop killing each other, he'll certainly take the credit for it," so why shouldn't Street take the blame now? Nutter asked.

Under Street, the city has reassigned police officers to crime-prone areas, engaged clergy and social-service agencies in a community-awareness campaign, and pleaded in Harrisburg for stronger gun laws and more money for violence-prevention programs.

But Street has not sought funding for new police officers and has dismissed the idea of declaring a state of emergency.

In contrast, Nutter said the latter was precisely what Street should do, not citywide but in high-crime city blocks.

"I'm not advocating that we violate anybody's civil rights," he said. "On the other hand, you don't have a civil right to walk around with an illegal weapon."

Bryan Miller, executive director of Ceasefire NJ, said a similar action had flooded Camden neighborhoods with crime-suppression efforts as part of a 28-day program.

"There is some displacement to beyond the borders of that area," Miller said, "but for the city as a whole there is a net reduction in crime."

Among those Nutter has talked with about stemming the violence is former Camden County Prosecutor Vincent P. Sarubbi, who was part of a commission that developed the 28-day plan for Camden.

Other cities are also exploring targeted crime prevention.

In Newark, N.J., new Mayor Corey Booker just hired a police chief from the New York City Police Department who was credited in the 1990s with cleaning up a Manhattan block known for drug sales by erecting street barricades and stopping cars and pedestrians. The block, on West 163d Street, was sealed off for seven weeks.

Everyone wants safer blocks, but the cost to civil liberties must be considered, said Ralph B. Taylor, a criminal-justice professor at Temple University. For an alternative to a state of emergency, he pointed to a 1990s antidrug initiative, Operation Sunrise, that resulted in 20,000 arrests in Philadelphia.

"I can sort of understand why there is an appeal for what seem like drastic measures," he said. "However, that doesn't mean the more drastic solutions are going to be more effective than the things that have already been tried and have demonstrated effectiveness.

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[ChamberedRound]

Yeah, turning Philly into Beirut is going to work. Um, no.

A state of emergency is a just the Politically Correct way to declare Martial Law.

[Frenchy]

Originally Posted by ChamberedRound

Yeah, turning Philly into Beirut is going to work. Um, no.

A state of emergency is a just the Politically Correct way to declare Martial Law.

All this would do is force the drug trade underground and make it harder to catch the BG. There are already payoffs to the drug world, I can see how "some people" would be invisible to the authorities in this situation.

[Archiver]

BUT...according to Uniform Firearms Act even during a "state of emergency" people with LTCF are still allowed carry...including Philly. The only legal thing a state of emergency would do is prohibit people WITH OUT a LTCF from transporting their firearms for hunting or to the range. Criminals would still be illegally carrying anyway...same as today! No real difference...except an escalation of lawsuits against Philly.
BTW, BIG surprise Philly FOP endorsed Casey over Santorum!

[Siobhra]

Nutter did say one thing I like. He pointed out that Street is only putting on a show while doing nothing. The two most common response to a problem is to solve it or cover it. Fix it or paint over it.

Gun control is a prime example of the paint job. "Look at me I am doing something". Solving the problem takes a lot of work and hard choices. And money.

If you 'paint' over problems you can give money to special interest local groups to get votes.