Ask A Candidate

Veronica Walker of Drexel Hill wants to know: "How do they plan to help support families of murder victims?"

by Brian Hickey

In the wake of her husband's unsolved homicide (see Philly Blunt ), Veronica Walker of Drexel Hill is worried that the city is being overrun by violent criminals while the government and leadership at the Roundhouse do little to envision, and enact, new approaches to stem the murderous tide. "I think they should be locking down the city," she says. While that approach probably comes closest to Michael Nutter's proposed crime-emergency plan, Walker wanted each mayoral wannabe to answer a simple question: "I would like to know how do they plan to help support families of murder victims."

Here are responses from the candidates:

Bob Brady:

First and foremost, I will fight every day I am mayor to reduce the homicide rate in Philadelphia, and work to get more cops on the streets in honor of those who have lost their lives to gun violence. The family members who have lost their loved ones should be offered counseling and support from the police and neighbors. As mayor, I will partner with Philadelphia police and work to create support groups in neighborhoods that serve a dual purpose: supporting victims' families and bringing communities together to fight against violence.

Dwight Evans:

"It pains me that in the discussions we've had concerning the dramatically increasing numbers of shootings and homicides, we have lost focus on those who are left to mourn the loss of a loved one. If we are to break the cycle of violence and put people back on the path toward healing, we must provide comprehensive services to the 'other victims' so often neglected. That is why I have funded groups like Mothers in Charge, Mothers United Through Tragedy, TOVA and Every Murder is Real through the Blueprint for a Safer Philadelphia. Each of these groups provides support, counseling and other services to the relatives of victims of violence, and they are critical to our efforts to make Philadelphia whole again. As mayor, I would continue to provide resources to these groups and connect them to other city agencies in order to provide a comprehensive web of support services to victims' families."

Chaka Fattah:

"I am going to work every day and every night to make sure more parents don't lose their children, and more Philadelphians don't lose their loved ones."

Tom Knox:

"I'm so sorry for the loss of your husband. Such tragedies shatter people on both emotional and practical levels. You must be overwhelmed. There are services that already exist for victims and their survivors � financial compensation, support groups both for adults and children, and counseling to prepare survivors for testifying in court. The problem is, most people don't know about them, or are too overwhelmed to coordinate all the necessary phone calls and paperwork. I promise that when I am mayor, I will streamline those processes, and have a caring individual available to help you through such a difficult time."

Michael Nutter:

"First, let me express my sorrow for your terrible loss. On Thursday, Aug. 17, 2006, I met with several dozen residents on the 3700 block of North 16th Street, where 15-year-old Jarrett Gore was killed on July 6, 2006. At that time, I called on the city and state to coordinate resources to address the behavioral health crisis caused by violence. On Aug. 2, 2006, I submitted testimony to the Pennsylvania Senate Judiciary Committee regarding various strategies to address the rising homicide rate and violent crime in Philadelphia, including victims' behavioral health services.

"When a homicide occurs in most parts of the United States, grief counselors are deployed, interviews are conducted with the children, and social workers gauge the impact on the neighbors. But when murder happens in a Philadelphia neighborhood, the impact and trauma of loss and of witnessing a death by gunfire is too often ignored.

"We must acknowledge and respond to the major public behavioral health crisis that our city has endured for years now.

"As with any other public health emergency, we must coordinate all of the resources available to contain it. The commonwealth of Pennsylvania has poured millions of community and behavioral health dollars into all kinds of groups with all kinds of programs. Yet this is an area where a coordinated plan by trained professionals can make a big difference.

"As mayor, I will work with the governor and the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare to coordinate multiple funding sources that have gone untapped to respond to this crisis. There is a large surplus of Community Behavioral Health funds already transferred to the city that could be devoted to this priority, and I will do so. No heart attack victim would be released from the ER without counseling and therapy to avoid future problems. Yet, every day we release gunshot victims from the ER with no guidance and no therapy and no follow-up. And every day we abandon the surviving family and friends of homicide victims to their own private grief and trauma. This will end when I am mayor."