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Can Anyone Hear the Sounds of Violence?
[December 12, 2008]
“I can write columns until I'm blue in the face…” Chronicle columnist Chip Johnson referring to government inaction.
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When Crime is Intolerable:
"I don't think you have to be Sherlock Holmes to figure out we have a serious crime problem. We are nowhere {near} where we should be, we have a crime crisis." … On January 7, 2008, Mayor Michael Nutter of Philadelphia signed an Executive Order declaring a Crime Emergency.
“Crime is at an unacceptable level. . . . It's certainly something we have to get a handle on real quick.” …Philadelphia Police Chief Ramsey
Bad in Philadelphia, much worse in Oakland:
- Philadelphia’s Homicides totaled 27.3 per 100,000 in 2007.
[Oakland’s Homicides totaled 30.3 per 100,000 in 2007.]
- Philadelphia’s Robberies totaled 715 per 100,000 in 2007.
[Oakland’s Robberies totaled 873 per 100,000 in 2007.]
- Philadelphia’s Felony Assaults totaled 667 per 100,000 in 2007.
[Oakland’s Felony Assaults totaled 1,015 per 100,000 in 2007.]
- Philadelphia experienced 1,475 Violent Crimes per 100,000 for the year just prior to the Declaration of Crime Emergency.
[Oakland suffered 1,992 Violent Crimes per 100,000 in the same year. In 2008, just a few days away, Oakland will experience a rate of 2,160. When Chief Tucker took office (2/4/05) the rate was 1,277 (12/31/04)]
Chief Ramsey gets it together; Chief Tucker doesn’t:
“Homicide is down 40%; Shooting Victims down 30%; Part I Violent Crime down 7.5%; Guns seized up 3%; Homicide Clearance Rate is at 77.8%.”…Philadelphia’s progress report on May 1, 2008, after the Crime Emergency order.
“…arrests are increasing while the crime is decreasing.” …Philadelphia Chief Ramsey
“…we can’t arrest our way out of the problem…” …Tucker/Kozicki
- After 345 days of Chief Tucker’s new Geographic Policing, Area Command, and 12-hour shifts, Violent Crimes are up 4.32% over 2007. Felony assaults are up 11%, and Firearms assaults are up 8%. All Violent Crimes are up 57% during Tucker’s four years.
Philadelphia’s Crime Fighting Plan:
“The mission of the Philadelphia Police Department is to fight crime and the fear
of crime…”
- “The Mission of the Oakland Police Department is to provide competent, effective, public–safety services to all persons with the highest regard for human dignity through efficient, professional, and ethical law enforcement and crime prevention practices.”
Chief Ramsey’s Promise to Philadelphia Citizens:
“…by the end of calendar year 2008 we will:
- Reduce homicides by twenty-five percent (25%)
- Decrease the number of shooting victims by twenty percent (20%)
- Reduce Part I violent crimes by twenty percent (20%)
- Increase the homicide clearance rate to sixty-five percent (65%)
- Increase the clearance rate for all other violent crimes by five percent (5%)”
Chief Ramsey’s Understanding:
“Residents want the police to stop the violence, eliminate illegal drug markets, get
illegal guns off the street, increase police visibility, foot and bike patrols in the
neighborhoods, improve communication between detectives and victims,
participate as a full partner in intervention and prevention programs, address
quality of life issues and crimes, focus on truancy and curfew violators, help
intervene with young people who are threatening and frightening neighbors, and
help improve school safety and passage to and from school.”
Chief Ramsey’s Core Strategy:
“There is nothing fancy about our strategy. It is built on a solid foundation of proven
policing strategies with uniform patrol as the core.” “All other functions exist to support patrol.”
“The commissioner already has disbanded the Strategic Intervention Tactical Unit created last year by former Commissioner Sylvester Johnson. The SITE officers were redeployed to beef up district patrol staffs.” …Philadelphia Inquirer, May 8, 2008
- Kozicki’s “Big SAC” has completely replaced OPD’s 35 Beat System with “teams” of officers. Tucker/Kozicki have completely abandoned the traditional Patrol Division. Their strategy is a convoluted complex system of over 21 shifts never tried anywhere else.
“’To me, in my way of thinking, everything exists to support the patrol function,’ Ramsey said in an interview Tuesday. ‘Everything. If you don't support the patrol function, I question why you exist.’” …Philadelphia Inquirer, May 8, 2008
- Tucker has been determined to dismantle all the “old fashioned practices.” Other traditional police functions have been eliminated or decimated, and administration has an entirely new Bureau.
Comment:
One Chief makes promises and the other makes excuses. One Chief has an understanding of the problems, while the other Chief simply doesn’t understand. One Chief has a core strategy, while the other has a blindfolded “work-in-progress.” Contrary to Chief Tucker’s information-less narratives, Philadelphia Chief Ramsey’s real plan and follow-up reports contain no caveats, no excuses, and no cop-outs. He puts forth will-do/can-do confidence. True to his word, Chief Ramsey completely overhauled the Philadelphia Police department around the Patrol Division as the backbone. In fact, he combined his organizational structure into only two main operating groups: Field Operations and Organizational Support Services. Chief Tucker disintegrated OPD and extracted its backbone 35 Beat Patrol Beat System in favor of amorphous “team policing.” Beat cops are now “Patrol Officer Teams.” There is no longer a Patrol Division at OPD. Chief Tucker’s headquarter-based operations are disconnected, operating ad hoc, and utterly fail to digest or disseminate meaningful information.
ronoz
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