Controller questions immediate impact of Philly's anti violence initiatives
City controller Rebecca Rhynhart maintains only 17% of the anti-violence budget is addressing shootings in the short term.
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- The city controller's office has released its analysis of Philadelphia's anti-violence budget.
Philadelphia has budgeted $208 million for anti-violence initiatives.
City controller Rebecca Rhynhart maintains only 17% of the budget is addressing shootings in the short term, claiming the rest is devoted to programs that would take at least five years to have an impact.
"Like last year, the City's anti-violence budget does not allocate sufficient funds to intervention strategies that have been shown to work in other places to stop the violence, focusing on those most likely to shoot or be shot and approaching it as a public health issue," Rhynhart said.
Kevin Lessard, a spokesperson for Mayor Jim Kenney, disputes the report, saying it misclassifies some of the anti-violence initiatives.
The city countered 71% of the funding, $148 million, supports the immediate crisis.
