Seeking Peace in Philly

Philly Mayoral Candidate Shares Proposed Public Safety Plan

Her plan, she says, focuses on people – both victims and perpetrators – and employs a strategy known as focused deterrence.  

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What to Know

  • In a new public safety plan, Philadelphia mayoral candidate Maria Quiñones Sanchez proposes a conversation to “reimagine” the Philadelphia Police Department and suggests establishing a public safety dashboard and investing in a system of cameras in the city. But not included in the plan – shared first with NBC10 – is any reference to guns, as Philadelphia struggles to contain daily gun violence.  
  • Quiñones Sanchez pointed to the recent executive order by Mayor Jim Kenney to ban guns at rec centers, a measure that landed in court where it was overturned, and said that, “we’re going to have to continue to rely and work with our state and federal partners around gun control.” 
  • Her plan, she says, focuses on people – both victims and perpetrators – and employs a strategy known as focused deterrence.  

In a new public safety plan, Philadelphia mayoral candidate Maria Quiñones Sanchez proposes a conversation to “reimagine” the Philadelphia Police Department and suggests establishing a public safety dashboard and investing in a system of cameras in the city.

But not included in the plan – shared first with NBC10 – is any reference to guns, as Philadelphia struggles to contain daily gun violence.  

“What I don’t want to do in a public safety strategy is concentrate on something we don’t control and the courts have told us we can’t control. And really focus our energies on what we can do and the kind of realignment we need to do,” Quiñones Sanchez, a Democrat, said in an interview. 

Mayoral candidate Maria Quinones Sanchez is the first to release her public safety plan to combat the city's gun violence crisis. An exclusive with NBC10's Lauren Mayk.

Quiñones Sanchez pointed to the recent executive order by Mayor Jim Kenney to ban guns at rec centers, a measure that landed in court where it was overturned, and said that, “we’re going to have to continue to rely and work with our state and federal partners around gun control.” 

Her plan, she says, focuses on people – both victims and perpetrators – and employs a strategy known as focused deterrence.  

The former councilmember shared a safety plan document that states, “As Philadelphia’s Accountability Mayor, I will make sure that every city leader and every city department is working to make Philadelphia safer.” 

As part of the plan, Quiñones Sanchez is proposing a “forensic top-to-bottom review” of the police department’s budget, have civilians rather than police take on certain jobs in the department, and implement a leadership reorganization that would add a civilian chief financial officer. Asked whether she would keep the current police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw in her position, Quiñones Sanchez demurred. 

“I don’t want to simplify it to one person,” Quiñones Sanchez said. 

The safety plan also involves investing in a system of cameras, something Quiñones Sanchez says would likely have to be done over four to five years and could cost tens of millions of dollars. State and federal funding could be available, she said. 

“We’re going to prioritize high crime areas, we’re going to prioritize schools and we’re going to prioritize commercial centers and that’s going to be one of the key components to making people actually feel safe,” she said. 

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