On November 30, 2023, the Philadelphia city council passed a law that banned the use of ski masks in public areas. It was a move praised by the Deputy Commissioner of the Philadelphia Police Department, Francis Healy, who spoke as a witness in the Committee of Public Safety’s public hearing before the law was passed. Healy stated that “[C]riminals have continued using [ski] masks to avoid capture and it remains problematic. So the department fully supports the intent and rationale behind this ordinance…”
The intention of the bill, as Councilman Anthony Phillips, the author of the ordinance, outlines was to prevent “dangerous criminals to evade detection by wearing ski masks in public spaces, not to mention [the] intimidat[ian] the neighbors each of us were elected to serve.” Phillips cites the mass shooting that occurred in July of 2023, during which five people, including two children, were shot by a man carrying an AR-15-style rifle and wearing a ski mask. AR-15 rifles are legal in the state of Pennslyvania with the proper documentation.
Councilman Phillips, who did not respond to a request for comment, clarified that the intention was only to target individuals wearing ski masks in “school buildings, recreation centers, daycares, parks, City-owned buildings, and all modes of public transportation.” The law states that there are exceptions for those who wear the mask for “holiday costumes, religious garments… [their] job or trade, theatrical productions, winter sports and those lawfully engaged in First Amendment activities.”
Human rights activist Solomon Furious, an attorney from the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania (ACLU), said the bill “[was] specifically made to try and authorize the Philadelphia police to authorize unlawful and unconstitutional stops.” And he is not alone: council members and human rights lawyers alike have expressed their concern with the new legislation.
The Philadelphia Police Department declined a request for comment.
In recent months, many of Philadelphia’s city officials have been vocal about their desire to crack down on violence with strict and uncompromising policies. Mayor Cherelle L. Parker, the first Black Woman to be mayor in Philadelphia, spoke of her plans to come down hard on crime following her January inauguration into office: “My administration will announce specific plans to increase the number of Philadelphia police officers on our streets—with a focus on community policing citywide.”
Mayor Parker has previously been criticized for her policy of “stop and search,” which many say bears a close resemblance to the stop-and-frisk method utilized by cops throughout the War on Drugs and which disproportionately impacted Black Americans. Before her inauguration, Mayor Parker claimed she would supplement the “Terry stops” –the legal term for police searching civilians whom they find suspicious– with training for police officers to minimize the risk of discrimination. No such policy has been passed as of yet, though Mayor Parker has declared a state of emergency in Philadelphia as a result of the rising crime, increasing the number of police officers on the street.
However, increasing police presence might cause more problems than less for Philadelphia’s Black neighborhoods. From 2018 to 2023, Black Philly residents reported 2301 instances of police misconduct according to Philadelphia’s official police database. Comparing this with the 832 reported instances of police misconduct for white residents, the Black residents report police misconduct at a 176% higher rate.
And crime is yet to slow down in Philadelphia. Since January 1, 2024, Philadelphia’s residents have witnessed 27 homicides. Compare that with Boston’s current 2024 homicide number, which, as of February 4, stands at just one.
Many murders in Philadelphia have yet to be solved, including those of Jordan Jackson, a 17-year-old boy from Northeast Philadelphia, or Kasheeda Jones, a mother of four from East Mount Airy. Both Jackson and Jones are Black.
Some claim that the death of Jones has been overlooked by a world that views Black residents as criminals rather than victims: “It matters, also, that if Jones had been white, and driving a minivan, her death could be national — or even international — news. But in Philly, it was just another Friday night,” writes Jenice Armstrong, a Columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Only time will tell if Mayor Parker’s policy helps Philadelphia in the long run.
Note: Alison Teske contributed to this article.
