PHILADELPHIA – During a packed Philadelphia Police Department 19th District quality-of-life meeting Tuesday night, Councilmember Curtis Jones Jr. announced plans to introduce a resolution calling for social workers to wear body-worn cameras during home visits.
What they’re saying:
Councilmember calls for body cameras during foster care visits
Councilmember Curtis Jones Jr., who represents the city’s 4th District, said he and a colleague plan to introduce a resolution aimed at increasing accountability and improving oversight of children in foster care.
The proposal would seek funding to equip social workers with body-worn cameras that could document conditions inside foster homes and record conversations with children during visits.
“What we want is to work to fundraise to get the social worker to have cameras that are activated upon a visit so that they can memorialize the condition that the child lives in, what the child talks about in private away from the foster parents,” Jones said.
Jones said the resolution is expected to be introduced Thursday.
He also plans to pursue City Council hearings examining the Philadelphia Department of Human Services (DHS), emphasizing that the goal is to find solutions rather than assign blame.
The councilmember is additionally calling for more social workers and smaller caseloads, acknowledging that the proposed changes would require additional funding.
West Philadelphia community demands change
Local perspective:
Malayshia lived in the city’s 19th Police District before her death.
Her body was discovered last Wednesday night in the trunk of a vehicle in South Jersey. Her foster mother, 36-year-old Carprice Williams, has since been charged with her murder.
During Tuesday’s meeting, residents expressed concerns about how the city plans to prevent similar tragedies.
Monica Taylor, a West Philadelphia resident who said she is friends with Malayshia’s grandmother, questioned police and city leaders about what changes would be made. “My question is for all the police and the leaders. How are you going to make a difference so that there is not another Malayshia?” Taylor asked.
Police commissioner addresses community trauma
The meeting also addressed other quality-of-life concerns, including loud music, abandoned vehicles, squatting, vacant properties and mental health awareness.
The gathering came exactly one month after Philadelphia Police Sgt. Shane Seiber was killed in the line of duty on North 52nd Street.
Police identified Eric Lewis as the accused gunman. He faces numerous local and federal charges, including homicide and attempted homicide.
Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel acknowledged the emotional toll the recent tragedies have taken on his department and the surrounding community.
“The men and women of my department are my children. I’ve been at it almost 40 years now, so when I lose an officer, it’s not, when I came on 40 years ago, a colleague. It’s one of my children,” Bethel said.
Bethel also addressed the impact of Malayshia’s death. “This is part of the healing process too,” Bethel said, referring to the trauma surrounding the death of an officer, the shootings of other officers and the killing of a 10-year-old child.
Mayor Parker orders separate foster care review
The proposed City Council resolution comes as Mayor Cherelle Parker has ordered an independent review of Philadelphia’s foster care system.
Parker signed an executive order Tuesday establishing a Child Welfare Review Committee, which will examine how DHS and foster care agencies oversee placements, conduct visits and coordinate services.
The committee, consisting of up to 15 members, will have 120 days after convening to submit its findings and recommendations.
What’s next:
Councilmember Jones said the resolution for social worker body cameras will be introduced on Thursday.
He also said there are plans to hold hearings on the Department of Human Services to find solutions rather than pointing blame. The proposed changes will require additional funding.
“This is not the first time this happened, but what we want it to be is for it to be the last time that it does,” said Jones.
The Source: This article contains information from Jennifer Lee and interviews conducted by FOX 29.
