The members of the House Select Committee on Restoring Order, including Rep. Wendi Thomas, recently attended the committee’s first two hearings.
Speaker of the House Bryan Cutler named the members of the newly-established select committee earlier this year. Their task is to investigate the problems plaguing the city of Philadelphia, including whether local prosecutors are appropriately performing their duties in prosecuting violent crime and offenses, such as illegal possession of firearms. Thomas is one of five members appointed to the bipartisan select committee.
After the two hearings, Thomas released the following statement:
“The heart-wrenching stories we heard from the mothers of those who have lost their lives due to violent crime in Philadelphia continued to put the work of this committee in perspective. Philadelphians deserve safe neighborhoods. Preventable tragedies should not occur because some improperly use their discretion to not enforce the law.
“The testimony from non-partisan, unbiased experts also helped develop our understanding of the limits of local control, the statistical impact of choices made by officials in Philadelphia, and what is needed to ensure proper training in order for our laws to be enforced to the fullest extent possible.
“I look forward to the committee continuing its work to find potential solutions to the problems of crime and violence in Philadelphia and, where necessary, hold local officials accountable.”
The committee is set to produce a report with findings and recommendations, which will be made available to the public.
