DA Larry Krasner delivers apology after comments that downplayed crime
PHILADELPHIA - District Attorney Larry Krasner stirred up controversy last week after he said Philadelphia is not in crisis overs its historic gun violence levels.
"Basically, we don’t have a crisis of lawlessness, we don’t have a crisis of crime, we don’t have a crisis of violence and that is a category that includes gun violence," he said at the time. This statement led to immediate backlash.
He later released a statement saying the "message conveyed through media sound bites is not at all what I meant. As someone whose strong support is owed in part to the fact that I don’t communicate or make decisions like a career politician, it is my obligation to do better."
He was criticized for being insensitive to the families of gun violence victims.
He delivered a new apology Monday surrounded by supporters including city councilmember Jaime Gauthier, members of the Black Clergy of Philadelphia, and community leaders.
"My words unintentionally hurt people," Krasner stated. He also got emotional, acknowledging the impact his words had on the community. "I failed in not acknowledging that pain and suffering. A pain that disproportionately affects people of color and poor people. So for that, I am truly sorry."
Krasner went on to say that the only way to curb the city's gun violence issue is to address the pain the city is facing and to understand the data surrounding the gun violence in the city and use the facts to find a solution.
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