Kenney updates police reform, addresses racial inequality

Mayor Jim Kenney along with other city leaders announced Monday an update on the city’s plans for reformation, transformation and reconciliation in the wake of the murder of George Floyd. The effort is supported by a steering committee that seeks to advise, inform, connect, and work to eliminate race-based disparities in Philadelphia communities and promote racial and social justice across institutions.

Cynthia Figueroa, Deputy Mayor for the Office of Children and Families explained, “the areas of focus for the City’s reform, transformation and reconciliation work mirror the Kenney Administration’s shared priorities: health, safety, quality education and inclusive economic growth.”

The Mayor’s Office laid the four pillars of the reformation process and its goals below:

1. Public Safety: Adopt and implement a comprehensive police reform agenda.
2. Economy: Strengthen minority, women and disabled-owned business enterprises (M/W/DSBEs), review the City budget and rebuild small businesses.
3. Community Engagement and Reconciliation Process: Work collaboratively with the City and community partners to foster conversations between institutions and residents to address structural racism and racial inequity issues in Philadelphia.
4. Health: Address COVID-19 racial and economic disparities.

The committee has made the push for additional coronavirus testing sites in Black and Latino communities as part of their Racial Equity Response Plan.

The City of Philadelphia has recorded an additional 433 cases of coronavirus over the weekend into Monday, elevating the total number of cases to 28,592. The Department of Public Health explained that the rise in positive cases is attributed to expanded testing capabilities and that the test positivity rate remains the same at five percent. No coronavirus deaths were reported, keeping the mortality rate at 1,665.

The pandemic has delayed trash and recycling collection by one to two days citywide. Residents are asked to place their trash outside a day later than their normal collection day.