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PHILADELPHIA - Mayor Cherelle Parker signed three public safety bills Wednesday in order to improve the quality of life for Philadelphia residents.
Mayor Parker joined City Councilmembers at a bill-signing ceremony Wednesday at 3 p.m.
The following three bills were signed to combat nuisances and improve the quality of life for Philadelphia residents in neighborhoods across the city:
- The first bill will crack down on banning skill games at convenience stores and gas stations across the city to prevent further stealing and robberies.
"It is not okay to tempt our residents from low and moderate income neighborhoods with opportunities to gamble away their hard-earned dollars," said Mayor Parker. "It is not okay to give children purchasing candy an opportunity to gamble with their lunch money. It is not okay to create situations where those who are interested in mugging Philadelphians literally wait outside of gas stations in the middle of residential areas to rob people of money that they want illegally gambling."
- The second bill focuses on the crackdown of license plate flipping devices used to avoid tolls and tickets.
"If you now think that you can commit a crime in the city and evade detection from law enforcement by obscuring your license plate, know that because of Mike Driscoll's leadership, we will find you," said Parker.
- The third bill mandates an 11 p.m. curfew for most businesses in Philly’s Kensington area.
"Gone are the days when you can fuel disorder in Kensington by operating your business into the wee hours of the morning. We will not allow nuisance businesses to remain open all day and all night to prey on people with substance-use disorder suffering with addiction." said the Mayor of Philadelphia. "I've been very clear that this administration will use every tool in the toolbox to tackle the disorder that we have seen in Kensington," she continued.
Back in January, on her first official day as mayor, Parker declared a public safety emergency in Philadelphia.
On her first day, she also signed the following three executive orders into action:
• Declaring a public safety emergency in Philadelphia, and directing the Police Commissioner and Managing Director’s Office to develop comprehensive plans that address public safety across the city.
• Making local government more visible, responsive, and effective in how it delivers services to citizens and constituents. Mayor Parker seeks a government that citizens can "see, touch, and feel."
• Expanding economic opportunity for residents of Philadelphia by removing barriers to city employment, including removing requirements for a college degree as a prerequisite for employment.