Safehouse Facing Uphill Battle After Announcing Safe Injection Site Location In South Philadelphia

THIS EVENING, KATE WILL LET USKNOW WHEN POTENTIALLY SEVEREWEATHER IS EXPECTED TO MOVETHROUGH OUR AREA.GOOD EVENING, I'M UKEEWASHINGTON.I AM EIGHTS JESSICAKARTALIJA.WE BEGIN AT 5:00 WITH OUTRAGEAND OPTIMISM OVER THECOUNTRY'S FIRST SUPERVISEDINJECTION SITE OPENING RIGHTHERE IN PHILADELPHIA, SAYS THESITE WILL BE LOCATED ATCONSTITUTION HEALTH PLAZA, ATBROAD AND MCCANN STREETS.THAT'S IN SOUTH PHILADELPHIA,NOT IN KENSINGTON, ASEXPECTED.WE HAVE LIVE TEAM COVERAGEOF THE SITE OPENING ANDCOMMUNITY LET'S START WITHALICIA READ AT CITY HALLTHAT'S RIGHT, UPHILL BATTLEFOR SAFE HOUSE, NON-PROFITTHAT ANNOUNCED PLANS TODAY,THAT THEY WILL BE OPENING THESAFE HOUSE AS OF THE LASTHOUR, WE'VE HEARD FROM SIXCITY COUNCILS ILL MEMBERS THATARE STANDING AGAINST THISOPENING, INCLUDING COUNCILCOUNCILMAN MARK WHO WAS ATTHIS MORNING'S MEETING, ANDWAS EXTREMELY VOCAL.HORRIBLE, DISGRACE, SIT OFPHILADELPHIA, NOT PART OFDEMOCRACY,.THERE ARE ALREADY PEOPLELIVING WITH ADDICTION THERE,SO NOT ANTICIPATING PEOPLEWILL BE DRAWN TO SOUTHPHILADELPHIA TO BUY DRUGS, TOUSE, THEY ARE WHERE THEY ARE.IN THE SAME WAY PEOPLE INKENSINGTON NOT GOING TO GO TOSOUTH PHILADELPHIA.REPRESENTATIVES FROM SAFEHOUSE SAY THREE TO FOUR PEOPLEDIE FROM OVERDOSING INPHILADELPHIA, EVERY DAY.THEIR GOAL TO PUT AN END TOIT, AND SAY THERE IS NO REASONFOR RESIDENTS TO FEAR THEM.NO DESTROYING TRASH,DEFACATION ON THE STREET, ANDAS FAR AS THE FACILITY ITSELF,THE INDIVIDUALS CAN BE MET ATTHE DOOR, ESCORTED UP.THE POLICE COMMISSIONERSAYS THE DEPARTMENT EXPECTSPROTESTS.AND OFFICERS WILL GETADDITIONAL TRAINING TO HANDLETHE NEW SITE AND WHAT COMESWITH IT.WE HAVE VERY CLEAR SECURITYPLANS IN PLACE, THOSE WILL BECOMMUNICATED TO OUR OFFICERSAGAIN, SO THERE IS NO BLURREDLINES, AS FAR AS WHAT OURPURPOSE IS.THOSE PLANS EXPECTED TO BEIN PLACE WHEN THE SOUTHPHILADELPHIA SITE OPENSSOMETIME NEXT WEEK.ALONG SOUTH BROAD STREET.US ATTORNEY WILLIAM MCSWAINSAYS HIS OFFERS WILL CONTINUETO FIGHT IT, IN A STATEMENT,HE SAYS, IN LIGHT OF THESECONCERNS, STATE HOUSE SHOULDACT PRUDENTLY AND NOT RUSH,BUT IF IT DOES RUSH FORWARD,MY OFFERS WILL EVALUATE ALLOPTIONS AVAILABLE UNDER THELAW.SECRETARY SITE WILL OPEN INKENSINGTON AS FOR THE SITE INSOUTH PHILADELPHIA NEXT WEEKTHERE IS MEETING PLANNED,DATHAN TIME STILL BEINGCONCERNED.