We all deserve safe communities where our families and our neighbors can thrive.

To have real safety and healing, we deserve a world that treats the root causes of issues and doesn’t leave people behind. The legacy of Reagan-era tough on crime tactics and the war on drugs has not only destabilized communities across our city, particularly Black communities, but has not made us safer.In the last decade alone we have spent over $2.6 billion dollars_to jail_over 47,000 Pennsylvanians,_more than a quarter_of whom from Philly. Tens of thousands of Philadelphians are locked up before trial and nearly three thousand children are incarcerated in youth prisons.

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It's clear that our current system isn’t working. We must prioritize solutions that do work and be willing to try new things to keep our communities safe.

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Amanda has seen and felt the impact of disinvestment in our neighborhoods. She has family members who have struggled with addiction, homelessness and have been in and out of jail. When Amanda’s family lived in Fishtown and Frankford, they were high crime areas but she and her siblings were allowed to play outside because they knew their neighbors and people looked out for each other. Having well connected, caring neighbors keeps us safe and keeps our communities strong. We see it in the elders that look out for us on our blocks, we see it in the ways neighbors bring in our packages and when we shovel each others’ sidewalks. We must do more to make sure our communities are healthy and strong.

 

As Councilmember, Amanda will fight for: 

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• Supporting the gun-violence prevention initiatives that are hard at work to de-escalate conflict and treat the root causes of violence.

• Fully and vibrantly funded parks, recreation centers, and libraries across the city as a core component of violence prevention.

• A well-resourced network of community services to address housing instability, employment access, and mental health needs.

• Prevent illegal targeting of Black residents by armed police and Black communities by supporting legislation like Councilmember Thomas’s Driving Equality bill.

• Treating the opioid and overdose crisis as a public health emergency rather than a criminal issue, supporting harm reduction strategies and overdose prevention measures to keep our community members alive and to break down barriers to accessing treatment.

• Restorative justice programs that prioritize accountability, healing and restitution without furthering the cycles of upheaval and separation that devastate communities and disproportionately target Black and brown families.