City to install 100 security cameras near Philadelphia schools affected by gun violence – NBC10 Philadelphia

City leaders announced Monday they would install at least 100 security cameras near Philadelphia schools affected by gun violence.

City Council Speaker Darrell Clarke (5th District) said he would introduce legislation this week, which includes $1.8 million, to fund at least 100 security cameras near the following Philadelphia schools:

1. Edison/Clemente School

2. Mastbaum High School

3. Bartram High School

4. South Philadelphia High School

5. Fels High School

6.Lincoln/Meehan/RWD

7. Dobbins High School

8. Ben Franklin High School

9. Duckery Elementary School

10. High School of the Future

11. Frankford High School

12. CAPA by Kensington

13. Northeast/Wilson School

14. Roxborough High School

15. Harding College

Officials also said more schools and cameras could be added as the program is implemented.

“We need every child to be safe when they go to school and come home later in the day,” Clarke said. “These cameras are a great start, and they will lend ‘eyes’ to law enforcement officials who work very hard to protect our children. I want to commend Schools Safety Chief Kevin Bethel and the Philadelphia Police Department for working closely with us to develop this camera program.

Clarke, who was joined by Mayor Jim Kenney and Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw, made the announcement at John Bartram High School in Southwest Philadelphia. In January, Christopher Braxton, a 17-year-old student at Bartram High, was shot and killed near the school shortly after being fired.

As of June 9, 94 people under the age of 18 have been shot in Philadelphia so far this year, an increase of 8% from the same time last year, according to city data.

“We know we live in an increasingly digital age, and Council President Clarke’s request for funding will help provide an extra level of security to some of the areas around our schools that are most affected by the scourge of gun violence,” said Commissioner Outlaw. “Now more than ever, we know that the presence of cameras not only has a deterrent effect on those who seek to cause harm in our communities, but that they also enable the capture of crucial evidence that is essential to the successful prosecution of offenders.”

The rise in gun violence is impacting the city as a whole. A gun violence tracker from the city comptroller’s office listed 815 non-fatal and 203 fatal gunshot victims as of June 12. Shootings accounted for the highest number of murders in Philadelphia this year. As of Sunday night, there were 227 homicides in Philadelphia in 2022, down 6% from the same time last year, which was the deadliest on record in the city.

“As we work together to address the upsurge in gun violence across the country and in Philadelphia, an important part of that effort is to ensure that the epidemic of gun violence does not affect children or interfere not with their learning, development and well-being,” Mayor Jim Kenney said. “The funding announced today will provide security cameras around schools most affected by gun violence and help ensure that schools and surrounding areas are the safe havens from violence that every student in Philadelphia deserves.”

There are additional resources for individuals or communities who have experienced gun violence in Philadelphia. Further information can be found here.