Philly city councill pushes for social worker body cameras after 10-year-old’s murder

Tonight, we are learning about a new action that city council plans to take to prevent another foster child from being abused or even murdered. This comes nearly a week after 10-year-old Malaysia Alford was found dead in the trunk of a car. That plan revealed tonight at a packed quality of life meeting in West Philadelphia. Our Jennifer Lee reports. I am... friends with the grandmother of Malaysia. Malaysia Alford lived in the 19th district where Philadelphia police held a community meeting a week after investigators discovered her body in the trunk of a car in South Jersey. Her foster mother, Caprice Williams, now accused of her murder. My question is for all the police and the leaders, how are you going to make a difference? So that there is not another Malaysia. Council member Curtis Jones represents this district and says he and his colleague plan on introducing a resolution before city council after Malaysia's death with plans to hold hearings on the Department of Human Services. He says not to point fingers of blame, but rather to find solutions. What we want is to work to fundraise to get the social workers to have cameras that are activated upon a visit. So that they can memorialize the conditions that this child lives in, what this child talks about in private, away from the foster parents. Community members brought their quality of life concerns to the meeting, ranging from loud music, abandoned cars, squatting, vacant properties, and mental health awareness after Sergeant Shane Sieber was killed in the line of duty exactly a month ago on North 52nd Street. Police identified the gunman as Eric Lewis, who now faces dozens of local and federal charges for homicide and attempted homicide. Commissioner Kevin Bethel says his department is still healing. The medical department are my children. I've been at it almost 40 years now. And so when I lose an officer, it's not when I came on 40 years ago, a colleague, it's one of my children. And so it's harder for me today. This is part of the healing process too. When I talk about it, the community was traumatized by all of it, by the death of my officer, the shooting of my officers, and a 10-year-old child losing her life. Malaysia's murder case leaving a devastating mark on the West Philadelphia community. Councilmember Jones says he wants more social workers with lesser caseloads as well. He says all of it will require additional funding. This is not the first time this happened. But what we wanted to do is the last time you let it go. Council Member Jones says the resolution for social workers wearing body-worn cameras will be introduced before council on Thursday, all in hopes of preventing another tragedy like Malaysia in the future. In West Philly, Jennifer Lee, Fox 29 News.