Authorizing the joint Committees on Public Safety and Streets and Services to hold hearings to investigate Philadelphia Police Department precinct policies and practices for approving and denying block party permits, and exploring methods to increase block party permit applications.

Authorizing the joint Committees on Public Safety and Streets and Services to hold hearings to investigate Philadelphia Police Department precinct policies and practices for approving and denying block party permits, and exploring methods to increase block party permit applications. WHEREAS, Philadelphians from neighborhoods all over the City share a strong tradition of hosting neighborhood block parties, particularly during the summer months. These events help bring families of all backgrounds together and create a sense of community; and WHEREAS, Block parties often compliment larger open streets events such as National Night Out, Philly Free Streets, the Odunde Festival, and the many parades, marathons and festivals that occur on larger corridors in the City. Block parties have historically served as a training ground for aspiring musicians and DJs, such as DJ Jazzy Jeff, and give car-strewn neighborhood streets a second look as public space gets repurposed for people; and WHEREAS, The Philadelphia Streets Department offers residents a very lightweight process for permitting the closing of streets for block parties: a $25 fee ($60 if received within three weeks of the scheduled block party, $150 if scheduled on a weekday) and signatures from 75 percent of your block (not including vacant properties). The Philadelphia Police Department historically gives the final signoff on a block party permit; and WHEREAS, According to a City GIS dataset obtained by PlanPhilly, North and…