Mayor Jim Kenney signs executive order banning guns from Philadelphia rec centers
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney is raising the stakes to fight Philadelphia's gun violence. Tuesday morning, he signed an executive order banning guns at city rec buildings and parks.
This order comes one day after Tiffany Fletcher's funeral. She was shot in the crossfire outside a West Philly rec center and died.
On Tuesday, Mayor Jim Kenney joined other city leaders at City Hall to sign an executive order meant to combat gun violence.
"We will not tolerate the endangerment of children and families while they are in our treasured community spaces," Kenney said.
The order bans guns and other deadly weapons from city parks, recreational facilities, playgrounds and pools. It makes no exceptions for people with permits to carry.
"There's no reason to bring a gun anywhere, especially at a rec center or a pool and a basketball game," Kenney said. "It's insane, and because this state is the way that it is people can get a permit for no reason."
It comes more than two weeks after Tiffany Fletcher was killed at the Mill Creek Rec Center on Sept 9. Officials say the rec center employee and mother of three was caught in the crossfire of a gun battle.
"Since 2019 there have been nearly 300 incidents of gun violence at a parks and recreation facility," Commissioner Kathryn Ott Lovell said. "We have got to answer the question, 'how can we support and uplift the children of our city when our own recreational facilities are so often under fire?'"
According to city leaders, rec center employees will be responsible for spotting and calling authorities when they spot a weapon.
Charges after will come from the DA's office.
"Yes, they're gonna face the usual charges for possession of firearms and charges for anything else bad that they do on those sites but thanks to this executive order, their activity would also be treated as trespass," Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner said.
"I would like to see more done, you know, whatever we're doing, whatever resources we're putting in, whatever reason we're putting in, we need more," Philadelphia councilwoman Cindy Bass said.
Currently, state law limits cities from making their own gun laws. City officials tell CBS3 they're prepared for this order to be challenged.
