PHILADELPHIA -
With four murders and 13 people shot over the weekend, and even more violence overnight, crime in Philadelphia is getting everyone's attention, from the police, to the mayor and now city council.
"Outrageous, absolutely outrageous -- unacceptable," said newly elected Councilwoman Cindy Bass.
Council members say city hall may not have the solution to the growing number of murders and shootings that have rocked block parties and pick-up basketball games in recent days.
Councilman Jim Kenney says federal authorities need to help.
"I think you need kind of a Seal Team Six setup with the FBI and the ATF," he said. "Start taking these guys down seriously, maybe making them federal cases so we can pre-trial detain them."
Kenney also wants the city to put younger, more aggressive cops in high-crime areas by getting retired officers to return to duty part-time to take their place in low-crime areas.
"$30, $40 an hour without benefits," Kenney said, "they can work their own schedules.
Bass says, "It really does cripple our communities."
Several of the recent shootings and murders happened in Bass' district.
"Would you like to see more police officers on the street?" asked FOX 29's Dave Schratwieser.
"Absolutely," she said.
Asked how you pay for that, she answered, "We need more federal resources, we need more state resources."
Even though more officers just hit the streets in her district, Bass says more needs to be done.
"We need Harrisburg to enact sensible gun legislation," she added. " You can get a gun like you can buy a candy bar in this city, and it's a problem."
Kenney added, "It's not gonna stop until we figure out how to stop the flow of guns into the bad guys' hands."
