“Six months ago, in certain parts of the city, the crime issue would come up, but people had a certain sense that it was happening somewhere else,” Nutter said in an interview. “Now, that doesn’t matter. More and more citizens have finally come to the conclusion that it’s happening in my city, it’s tearing this place apart. We’re embarrassed by it, and we’re increasingly fearful. . . .
“And there’s even less confidence that anything is being done that makes any kind of sense to the
average person, that says to them, ‘This is our game plan, this is how it’s going to work, and these are going to be the results.'” While those words imply strong criticism of Mayor Street and Police Commissioner Sylvester M. Johnson, Nutter refused to elaborate. His focus is on his own moment, which, if it comes, is still nearly five months away.
Unless the situation changes dramatically between now and then, he would work quickly as mayor to lay the groundwork for declaring crime emergencies in three to five city neighborhoods. In those “targeted enforcement zones,” police would have the power to prohibit outdoor gatherings, limit the movement of vehicles, establish a curfew, and prohibit the possession of all weapons. Additional officers would be deployed, with orders to stop, question and frisk anyone they had to reason to believe was carrying a gun.
INQUIRER: Is That Gun In Your Pants Or Are Just Dying To Meet Me?
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