Councilmember Quetcy Lozada wants Philadelphia Police to more aggressively enforce drug laws in Kensington, and she may have soon have an ally in the mayor's office.
Quetcy Lozada walking with her chief of staff, Carlyn D. Crawley, through Kensington after holding a news conference this month on cleaning up the neighborhood.Some were in tents. Some had lit fires. Some were visibly injecting drugs.Philadelphia Police Inspector Anthony Luca responded tersely: “You get out.”
She wants to see a stronger law enforcement presence, and envisions a day when the city could involuntarily commit people in addiction to “stabilization centers,” where they could choose long-term treatment or criminal charges. The strategyLozada said she’s “grateful that is not shying away from anything.”that aim to keep people who use drugs alive and out of the cycle of the criminal justice system.
Banning drug consumption sites under the zoning code means anyone trying to open one would need a variance. They would have to go through neighborhood civic groups, which in Lozada’s district oppose such a site. Earlier this year, at Lozada’s request, a Council committee held a hearing on Kensington, and residents — including children — testified to the conditions. One girl described avoiding windows in case of bullets. Another asked for safe pathways to and from school, without drug paraphernalia and trash littering the sidewalks.
He said arrests for drug possession have declined for a variety of reasons, including that year-to-date, more than 1,000 people have been diverted to treatment and support services, reducing the need for arrests. Gripp also said short-staffing and operational adjustments during the pandemic affected the number of arrests.whether a more punitive strategy would be supported by District Attorney Larry Krasner, who has spoken in the past aboutto those charged with mere drug possession.
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