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There’s no disputing the fact that Philadelphia has a violence problem. The city saw 499 homicides in 2020, which was the highest number in nearly 30 years; and shootings, carjackings, robberies, and murders are still on the rise in 2021. Last week eight people were shot in broad daylight at the city’s Olney Transportation Center, but so far police have yet to make any arrests in the case.
On Friday afternoon, Philly mayor Jim Kenney, police commissioner Danielle Outlaw, District Attorney Larry Kransner, and other officials held a press conference demanding that the Republican-controlled legislature in Harrisburg get to work on passing sweeping gun control legislation, including a ban on semi-automatic long guns.
“I’m tired of burying people that I know, young people that I know in particular - friends, my relatives, my nephews, and who they’ve lost to gun violence, Councilwoman Cindy Bass said on a Zoom with reporters Thursday.
According to the Harvard Kennedy School, some research has criticized the effectiveness of gun buybacks at reducing violent crime, but other recent research says buybacks can help if they’re part of a broader effort to prevent gun violence. Per Harvard s summary of the research, seeing leaders address the problem can get the public thinking about the issue. The buybacks offer a chance to inform about what else is being done.