PHILADELPHIA, May 25, 2023 – A Partnership be- tween Temple and its North Philadelphia community around public safety issues would be established under legislation introduced on behalf of Council President Darrell L. Clarke.
The resolution initiated by Council President Clarke calls for the creation of the Community-Temple Safety Partnership Zone and a Response Resource Task Force, as recommended in an audit recently submitted for Temple University, entitled “Recommendations for Community Safety at Temple University and the Temple University Police Department.”
The audit, conducted by 21CP Solutions and led by former Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey, was commissioned by Temple to audit and identify public safety best practices and areas for improvement. Temple’s action followed several high-profile incidents of violence in and around its North Philadelphia campus.
The Council resolution takes note of “an increase in acts of violence” in and around the Temple campus and that “Temple University must partner with the city of Philadelphia and community stakeholders to address quality-of-life issues experienced in these neighbor- hoods.”
“These public safety issues and any acts of violence happening anywhere near the Temple University campus aren’t happening in a vacuum, and the community must have a seat at the table and be part of any recommended solutions to make our neighborhoods safer for student, university staff and residents alike,” Council President Clarke said.
In March, 21CP Solutions released its report, and it recommends the creation of a Community-Temple Safety Partnership Zone “with the purpose of making the North Philadelphia area within the Zone a safer, better place to live, work, and thrive.”
“This partnership must be comprised of community residents, local elected officials, members representing Temple University, City entities, institutional stakeholders like non-profits, and businesses that work together to address public safety in North Philadelphia,” the Council resolution states.
The report also recommends establishing a Response Resource Task Force, which should be comprised of community stakeholders, local elected officials, “representatives of the University, the City, the Philadelphia Police Department, DA’s office, and other state and federal law enforcement agencies.”
This Safety Partnership Zone and Task Force will col- laborate with city representatives and neighborhood stakeholders and work toward improving safety and addressing underlying factors that contribute to the violence in the communities surrounding Temple, the Council resolution states.
Darrell L. Clarke represents the 5th Council District and serves as President of Philadelphia City Council, the 17-member legislative body of Philadelphia City government. A lifelong resident of North Philadelphia and an equitable housing and public education advocate, Council President Clarke works to ensure that every neighborhood in Philadelphia is a community of choice.
