Philly Needs Police
Harrisburg needs to act to keep the city safe.
Can Police Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey keep Philly safe if he has to cut 750 officers from the force?
I had just walked out of band practice and loaded my bass in the car when my cell phone rang. It was my girlfriend.
"I don't want to freak you out," she said when I picked up, "but I think I just heard shots over at the basketball court."
"Are you sure?" I asked. Although there have been some shootings in years past, 2008 was pretty quiet, and 2009 has been fairly trouble-free, at least on our block. "Ya sure it wasn't fireworks again?" The kids in our neighborhood are always setting them off, and sometimes it's hard to tell the difference between a series of cherry bombs and the pop-pop-pop of a handgun.
"No, I'm pretty sure," she said. "I looked out the window right after I heard them, and saw a whole crew of kids running as fast as they could away from the park. I've called the police, just in case."
Then she added, "But you know what's REALLY fucked up? A bunch of kids are still out there playing basketball like nothing happened, can you believe that?"
Well, yeah. Yeah, I could, because I've seen it before.
As I unlocked the car, I noticed one of the UCD "safety ambassadors" riding up the street on his bike: they're part of Penn's private security apparatus, patrolling the area around the university, cutting off right before my block even though Penn has expanded its housing program out to 52nd Street.
"Excuse me," I began. "My girl just called me and said she heard shots out at the Kingsessing Rec Center. Any word on anything going on out there?"
"Well, that's not the kind of call that would come into our dispatch," he replied. "That goes to the police. But where'd you say? Kingsessing?"
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Letters to the Editor
1. Zachary said... on Aug 3, 2009 at 12:18PM
“I definitely agree that Philadelphia needs to take steps, with support from Harrisburg, to become a safer city.
But are more police officers going to solve our crime problem?
We need to stop the problem at the source: unemployment, cuts to the social safety net, lack of youth opportunities, underfunded schools.
Otherwise, we're just going to keep wasting billions of dollars a year to send kids into prison, turn them into tougher criminals, and release them back onto the streets without any chance to turn their life around.
If Philadelphia wants to get serious about crime, we need to look beyond the costly incarceration of our youth, and towards long-term solutions. And that means Nutter needs to stop cutting the social services that keep crime at bay.
Otherwise we'll never solve the problem, we'll keep throwing money down a bottomless pit, and our kids will end up paying for our mistakes - in blood!”
2. Susie from Philly said... on Aug 3, 2009 at 12:48PM
“Yes, we need all those things. But kids need safe places to play, and cops can do something about that.
And it's not as if Nutter has a whole lot of money to play with, anyway. Right now, all he can do is plug holes.”
3. Neil Cleary said... on Aug 3, 2009 at 01:02PM
“It's not an either-or situation. Source problems definitely need to be addressed, but that doesn't mean you don't need cops in the meantime -- just as pushing more cops at the problem won't do the whole job.
Another great piece, Brendan!”
4. brendancalling said... on Aug 3, 2009 at 01:06PM
“zack you will not get an argument from me on any of those points. one of the reasons i didn't vote for the mayor was his stop-and-frisk policy, which is a violation of our civil liberties. and i agree with the rest of what you say too, in terms of social programs, taxes, etc.
but in southwest, where i live, the presence of cops who build relationships with the people who live there (much like Seth Williams wants to do with the DA's office) can do a large part toward dealing with the repeat offenders.
I'm not naive about cops: but one thing that has exasperated the relationship between the PD and the people they're supposed to protect is that no one knows each other personally anymore, which builds an us-vs-them mentality. and taking 750 cops off the street, just when the city is trying to rebuild a constructive relationship, is not going to help.”
5. Alex said... on Aug 3, 2009 at 01:20PM
“This budget situation reminds me of the Johnny Cash song 'I'm Busted'. Both Philly and Pennsylvania are cash-strapped right now. Every county and city in the Commonwealth are hoping that Harrisburg will bail them out.
I think we're going to have to get used to the idea that Philly is going to have to solve its problems with its own money and not count on state or federal help.
This means less of everything we want, like fire stations, community pools and police.”
6. Zachary said... on Aug 3, 2009 at 01:21PM
“You are right Brendan. I hope that the Mayor will stop giving tax breaks to corporations and universities and start giving our residents the social services they need to keep our streets safe and our officers out of danger!”
7. Zachary said... on Aug 3, 2009 at 01:21PM
“You are right Brendan. I hope that the Mayor will stop giving tax breaks to corporations and universities and start giving our residents the social services they need to keep our streets safe and our officers out of danger!”
8. Amy said... on Aug 3, 2009 at 01:28PM
“I am glad to hear that Ramsay is going back to community policing. It seems obvious that good personal relationships make things better. I saw an officer out of his car chatting with workers in the business across the street from me. I assumed at first that something was wrong, but no, just getting to know each other. I would be really scared up here in North Philly if they took 750 police away, we're teetering on the edge as it is.”
9. Aaron Stella said... on Aug 3, 2009 at 01:44PM
“I agree: a really good piece, given respect to an important topic. Of course, this topic is, unfortunately, important as it is old hat. Nothing against you Brendan, of course. I mean to say that the fecklessness of our police force has gotten to bad, and has remained as such for so long, it's almost tradition. I heard that Nutter's been dabbling with the idea of assigning beat cops--a whole force of policemen specifically charge with patrolling nine block areas, so as to be out and known in the neighborhood, and strengthen ties. I think that's as good as we can get until we can being properly funding our schools and other various programs, whose decrepit state no doubt sustains the existence of violence in the city.
Or right. I almost forgot. We need to vote our all the greedy, nitwit politicians and city councilmen who run this city. Most of tenures have been abused and are years past expired. Gotta vote guys. Gotta help each other out. Thanks for the article, brendan.”
10. seand said... on Aug 3, 2009 at 03:15PM
“Great piece.
I'm wondering if Zach is really getting that we are not talking about "more police" but that we talking about a city with 750 less police and no rec centers and virtually no libraries and no pools. And possibly criminal courts that go significantly slower because they are only open 4 days a week so not only do bad guys who can afford bail stay out longer but indigent arrested people who can't swing bail stay in longer. Thats not a safer or fairer Philadelphia.”
11. Anonymous said... on Aug 3, 2009 at 03:30PM
“
Perhaps if Philly stops granting sweetheart deals to Real estate Moguls and starts Assessing Properties at Fair Market Value instead of a sliding scale based on popularity, the city could raise some of the funds it so desperately needs. I know municipalities everywhere are facing fiscal crises of some sort or another, but you can’t balance the budget on the backs of those who are needed to keep the public safe and provide necessary services.
The whole Real Estate and Tangible personal property Taxation Issue needs to be revisited and enforced.
It's not a quick fix, but it is a start…and you have to start with a fair and level playing field.
Anyway...Another Great piece and more food for thought.
”
12. phillygrrl said... on Aug 3, 2009 at 11:16PM
“"I vaguely remembered, but as much as I'd like to post a link, I'm unable to: that's because in a city this large, in a neighborhood that's poor, troubled and afflicted by crime and violence, shootings can go unreported, and in any event they're buried by the ongoing litany of senseless, stupid bloodshed."
Also philly.com rarely has any news of value. Forget local news. All we have are slideshows from the 80s.”
13. brad said... on Aug 4, 2009 at 04:17AM
“How can we be "cash strapped" didnt obama give govt agencies police fire etc billions especially liberal cities..No police will be let go,its just so if we dont hire anymore it looks good.”
14. brendancalling said... on Aug 4, 2009 at 06:47AM
“@phillygrrl: that's a highly accurate description of philly.com: the news-free news site.
but hey, lots of high school yearbook shots of local anchors. oh and sexy singles.”
15. Anonymous said... on Aug 4, 2009 at 01:33PM
“The city needs to prosecute the criminals and kill them instead of letting them out of jail to kill more people. This City is corrupt and too lenient on crime. I've lived here 10 years and can't wait to get the fuck out.”
16. Bethsoda said... on Aug 4, 2009 at 04:23PM
“Let's take the guns off the street and put them into bars!”
17. tony said... on Aug 4, 2009 at 08:42PM
“Will everyone please wake up to the scam the Mayor is running. We have 25,000 city employees....and he has to lay off cops and firemen???? If you have to weigh cop vs admin employees? Come on....it's a no brainer. It's all politics folks....and Nutters scam to put fear in the populace....as he's done.”
18. CleanupPhilly said... on Aug 9, 2009 at 12:29PM
“Philly doesn't need a state bail out to keep police/fire/trash. It needs to collect the overdue property taxes of $425 million, collect forfeit bail of $1 billion, and implement AVI with a change in the millage or tax rate to market rate, actual value. All of this is what local Democrats won't admit will change elections. Philly has to be a normal city/county, though. We can afford good schools, but we can't afford to prop up cheap votes for patronage, favors, low tax assessments, not collecting property taxes or bail from absconders, and the millions of little cuts that the Philly City Council uses to stay in power. We can't afford bad pols anymore and a corrupt, machine system. This budget crisis will force what happened in NYC if only the state will let it. Just tell you state rep NO to more sales taxes, more state personal income taxes, and a pension refi/delay in an already bankrupt pension plan for city employees. Sign the petition and/or email your state rep at: http://www.stoppataxhike.com/”
19. lizzy said... on Sep 24, 2009 at 11:32AM
“What happened to the 10 millon Biden gave Philly for police? In August Nutter announced the fall police academy class would be "delayed". Til when? Why not use the fed $$$$ and get that class started. Philly cannot afford to have less cops on the street.”