HARRISBURG, PA — John Lawrence, Chairman of the House Select Committee on Restoring Order, released a statement Friday afternoon after two days of hearing testimony from families who have lost loved ones to violence.
In his statement, Lawrence spoke about the Committee’s findings, as well as experts in the field. He said that it is clear that the House of Representatives needs to take action to ensure that laws are being enforced and that local officials who are not enforcing those laws are held accountable.
“The House Select Committee on Restoring Law and Order was given a broad mandate by a bipartisan majority of the House of Representatives to explore the root causes of historic violent crime in Philadelphia and work to find solutions. Over the course of the last two days, we heard powerful testimony from families who have lost loved ones to violent crime, as well as expert insight into acceptable practices and the law,” said Lawrence.
Lawrence ended his statement by saying that the Committee will continue to work hard to find solutions to the problem of violent crime in Philadelphia. “What remains clear, is that it would be a dereliction of duty for the duly elected members of the General Assembly to not act in some fashion to ensure our laws are enforced, that local officials not enforcing those laws are held accountable, and that Philadelphians can live in safe neighborhoods,” Lawrence added.
The House Select Committee on Restoring Law and Order is a bipartisan committee created by the Pennsylvania House of Representatives to investigate the root causes of violent crime in Philadelphia and work towards finding solutions. The committee is chaired by John Lawrence (R-Chester) and includes 14 members, 7 from each party.
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