"is an increase in arrests for carrying weapons going to stop people from shooting each other?"
Yes it is, by up to 49% according to the Kansas City Study. What facts, studies do you have to back up your suggestion it won't?
"Is giving the police more power going to make the communities involved safer for its members?"
Depends on how its administered. I trust Nutter and Ramsey more to make an intelligent thought out response to the epidemic of violence in this city than I trust someone like you, "anonymous", to. Its clear to me from your tone you are psychologically invested in "radicalism for radicalisms sake" rather than in a coherent look at what will improve people's lives.

Interesting article about Nutter and Ramsey's handling of community relations, BTW.
http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/news_update/19241549.html

I'm quite confident that at the end of the day this will turn out to have been driven by the Feds - which is bad news for the activists in the house.