Failing at keeping guns from abusers | Morning Newsletter
And going back to school at 69.
The Morning Newsletter
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Be sure to grab some sunscreen and enjoy this sunny Sunday, with a high of 88.
A Pennsylvania state law requires authorities to seize firearms from abusers in order to protect victims. Today’s lead story uncovers how Philadelphia law enforcement routinely fails to do this, as domestic violence cases continue to rise in the city.
— Paola Pérez (@pdesiperez, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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When a Philadelphia judge grants a final protection-from-abuse order, it triggers a four-year-old state law designed to protect victims of domestic abuse from escalating violence.
That law requires the Philadelphia Sheriff’s Office to immediately serve notice to alleged abusers and, within 24 hours, either retrieve their firearms or get an affidavit saying they do not own any.
But that’s not happening in thousands of cases like Whitney Brown’s — nor in thousands of others like hers since April 2019, when the law went into effect.
In 2020, Brown’s then-husband broke her nose, and she decided she’d had enough. But once she went to court, Brown’s former partner’s behavior became more erratic. Knowing that he still had a firearm, she grew worried and afraid.
In her own words: “He was still stalking me. He was still bringing chaos.” But police didn’t take his guns. “They never went to his property,” Brown said.
By the numbers: Since the law went into effect, the Sheriff’s Office received notice of 10,028 final protection orders like Brown’s. But data show that as of April 2023, deputies had marked only 13% of those cases as complete. In comparison, four suburban counties achieved between 45% and 61% compliance in that same four-year period.
At higher risk: Nearly two out of three domestic violence homicide victims were killed with a gun last year in Pennsylvania, and women in particular are five times more likely to be killed if their abuser owns a firearm, according to anti-domestic violence groups.
This problem is made worse in Philadelphia as the city’s backlog of cases continues to grow at a faster rate than neighboring counties’.
Continue reading to see the data on the low rate of relinquished weapons and how victims and advocates are pushing to fix a broken system.
What you should know today
A child’s body found in the Delaware River near Port Richmond Friday night is that of Matilda “Mattie” Sheils, the 2-year-old who disappeared a week ago during a deadly flash flood in Upper Makefield, township officials said. The Bucks County town, reeling from the tragedy, worries about what might happen next time.
A friend of city Councilmember Kenyatta Johnson skirted regulations, defrauded taxpayers and made $1 million reselling city-owned properties, feds say.
76ers center Joel Embiid got married Saturday.
An estimated 2,000 affordable housing advocates rallied in Center City after three eviction-related shootings by officers.
Widespread budget cuts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are affecting Philly. Health officials worry about future reductions, but the city expects to be able to cover the gap in funding from the CDC through other sources.
Two SEPTA buses crashed while driving along Roosevelt Boulevard Friday afternoon, killing one passenger and leaving a bus operator in critical condition. It’s unclear what caused the collision. Both buses were to be taken out of service.
Philly-founded coffee company La Colombe will launch single-serve coffee capsules next year through a $300 million investment from beverage producer and manufacturer Keurig Dr Pepper Inc.
Can you eat gluten-free at the Jersey Shore? Our resident restaurant critic Craig LaBan has 12 best bets.
Will water ever flow from the fountains along the Art Museum steps again? You asked what’s up with this and other closed places and features in Philly, so we found out.
Meet Betty Williams, “the Beyoncé of night school.”
Williams is about to earn her high school diploma, and she doesn’t have a minute to waste.
She grew up in North Philadelphia and attended Kensington High School, where she played softball, ran track, and dreamed of becoming a doctor. But her “head wasn’t in it,” she said, and she got pregnant twice.
Williams, 14 at the time, stayed in school after her son was born. But after giving birth to her daughter at age 15, she dropped out, found herself a single mom, and in and out of several low-wage jobs.
That she never earned a high school diploma was always in the back of Williams’ mind. She tried to get a GED, but life kept getting in the way. In 2022, she finally returned to school to finish her diploma.
Williams, now 69, is always the first student to show up at class, sometimes arriving before staff. She hasn’t missed a single day.
In her own words: “I never thought that I would have this much fun in my old age, going back to school. It’s just been wonderful for me,” Williams said.
Keep reading on what’s next for Williams after graduation.
❓Pop quiz❓
Which stand-up comedian is coming to Philly for two shows in October?
A) Quinta Brunson
B) Sarah Silverman
C) Bill Burr
D) Jerry Seinfeld
Think you know? Check your answer here.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram 🧩
Hint: 🏁
AWAY DOGCART
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here. Cheers to Jean Burns, who correctly guessed Friday’s answer: Melrose Diner.
Photo of the day
What you’re saying about ... Philly Barbie
On Friday, I told you about just a few of our ideas for a Barbie that reps our city, and asked you to share what your Philly Barbie would look like. The responses were edited for clarity and conciseness.
One reader named Bobbi Steele of Evesham Township said: “Super Jock Barbie. She has an eagle on the back of her sports jacket, the Phanatic on the left front, the Union Logo on her purse, the 76ers logo on the outside of her right boot and the flying (Flyers) “P” on the left. She’s never out of season.”
Dave Gajewski of Sinking Spring said: “My Philly Barbie would be called Jawny. She’d be a street-smart, soft pretzel-eating girl working at Wawa and definitely sporting an Eagles or Sixers hat.”
And Edie Brodsky said: “Museum-going Barbie — Philly has the best!”
🎶 For today’s Sunday track, we’re listening to: “Be my summer / Protect me from the rain.” 🎶
👋🏽 That’s it from me. Erin Reynolds will bring you the Monday morning news bright and early. Thanks for starting your day with The Inquirer and take care.
