>Legislation introduced Thursday by City Council President Darrell L. Clarke would create a chief public safety director who would manage the budget, operations, and development of the city’s public safety response among a handful of agencies and departments, both inside and outside law enforcement.
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>The director would be among the top four administrative positions in city government, alongside the mayor, managing director, and finance director.
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>The new role requires a change to the city’s Home Rule Charter, so voters would need to approve its creation through a ballot question. If legislation is approved by City Council, the question could appear on the primary election ballot May 16. A spokesperson for Mayor Jim Kenney said his office would review the legislation.
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>A handful of other cities, including Chicago and Columbus, Ohio, have similar director-level positions in city government that oversee the public safety response. In Newark, N.J., the director of public safety position was created in 2016 and oversees the Police Department, the Fire Department, and the Office of Emergency Management.
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>Philadelphia already employs a senior director of the Office of Criminal Justice and Public Safety to coordinate the city’s public-safety response. That position is currently held by Erica Atwood, who reports to the managing director.
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>Clarke, who said he discussed the plan with Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw, said it was not intended to be a criticism of Atwood or Managing Director Tumar Alexander.