New police plan for Philly

By Eric Donovan
Senior Staff Writer
February 6, 2007

In a meeting with the Philadelphia Police Department Jan. 30, new police commissioner Charles Ramsey unveiled his plans for a revamped police force that will be introduced in the next five months. The plan will call for more police on the streets in an attempt to reduce the homicide rate that hit record totals last year.

Mayor Michael Nutter, in his inaugural address at the beginning of the year, promised to increase the city’s police unit by 500 officers. However, at the meeting held by Ramsey last week, the commissioner reported that there will be an increase of 200 officers, a five percent spike, citing that the budget only allows for so many officers.

More specifically, the goals outlined were as follows: reduce homicides by 25 percent, decrease the number of shooting victims by 20 percent, take five percent of guns off the street, increase the homicide clearance rate to 65 percent, increase the clearance rate for all other violent crimes by five percent and reduce the backlog of outstanding warrants and pieces of ballistic evidence.

To enforce these plans, Ramsey outlined several key changes to the department and the actions it will take throughout the year, noting that the plan should be in full effect by March 2008, according to the report released by Ramsey. Ever since Nutter requested a new police plan from Ramsey at his inaugural address at the start of January, Ramsey has been hard at work creating this new plan, one that must take in the various aspects of the city.

“We’re really looking at doing this the right way, not alienating the community,” Ramsey said in a Philadelphia Inquirer article.

  One of the main goals Ramsey mentioned was to get a large majority of illegal weapons off the streets, which in turn will affect the overall crime rate. He proceeded to explain an increase in the stop-and-frisk technique the police will begin to employ while on duty. Stop-and-frisk is a basic pat-down procedure used by police to find any hidden weapons. According to Ramsey, said use of such a procedure could result in a five percent drop in the use of illegal handguns and weapons.

Since Nutter’s inaugural speech in January, Ramsey has been working closely with the mayoral office to ensure that the promising words regarding the crime rate will be heeded. Another major step outlined in the commissioner’s plan is to create a mobile force of 70 men that will increase police presence throughout the more crime-laden areas during the summertime.

While this all may seem like a large undertaking, Ramsey also explains how to execute said ideas effectively. Specifically, the report released by Ramsey stated that at least 60 percent of all police officers will cover the streets, particularly in the more crime-affected areas.

Ramsey also emphasized collaboration throughout his report, stating that it is important for the police to work with other units of law enforcement in order to achieve the goals set. One way mentioned by Ramsey was to work closely with District Attorney Lynne Abraham. Doing so will open up many doors for the police and also allow them to better understand the crime patterns and prevent them.

Just one month into his job, Ramsey and his plans may already be working. Violent crime fell 29 percent last month, as compared to January 2007, according to Captain Daniel MacDonald in an Inquirer interview. However, within just a day of Ramsey’s unveiling of the new plan, four people were murdered in the city.

donovane1@lasalle.edu