Friday, September 14, 2007

Philadelphia Police Chief Asking For Help

Have you heard this one?

The city's embattled police chief, acknowledging that police alone cannot quell a run of deadly violence, has called on 10,000 black men to patrol the streets to reduce crime.


That sounds like a good idea. Let's just have 10,000 untrained men patrolling the streets with no guns, patrolling the streets that cannot be covered by the local police force. Or let's give them guns and encourage vigilantism. Let's put them out there in harm's way. No pay, no insurance, let's just have them put their lives on the line for nothing.

Then, if that's not enough to dissuade from thinking this is the worst kind of idea, there's always this thought:

Let's just let anyone who wants to volunteer for this duty, have his own area to watch. No background checks mean that criminals themselves can volunteer. Then, crime can really run rampant. When the paid officers are thinking that an area is covered by volunteers is, all the while there can be a volunteer lookout.

Why am I so suspicious?

The program's backers include Dennis Muhammad, a former Nation of Islam official who has been hired by police departments in Detroit, Syracuse, N.Y., and other cities to conduct community-sensitivity training.

We all know how fair-minded NOI can be. Some of them thought it best to be fair to the woman who falsely accused the Duke lacrosse players of rape and confinement.

NOI and other hate groups have a large presence in Philly. Maybe they are part of the problem in the neighborhoods, most affected by crime. If they aren't, why is crime so high now? Seems to me if they were at all concerned about their community, they'd already have some effective neighborhood watch programs in place. McGruff has been out there for 20 plus years, now.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Haven't they heard of Neighborhood Watch? It's very effective.

Anyway, there was significant uproar about the Guardian Angels patrolling the mean streets of my neighborhood (didn't you do a post on that, LAS?). I wonder if there will be similiar uproar in this case. Hmmmm....

LA Sunset said...

//didn't you do a post on that, LAS?//.

Honestly, I do not know. I have done over 1400 posts, I cannot remember them all. A search didn't find one, but I may have mentioned it as a sideline in another post.

Not only is this a bad idea from the standpoints that I mention, it shows how mismanagement of a city can ruin the quality of life for all of those that live there.

L'Amerloque said...

Hi LASunsett !


/*/ …/… Seems to me if they were at all concerned about their community, they'd already have some effective neighborhood watch programs in place. McGruff has been out there for 20 plus years, now. …/… /*/


Seems like the Philadelphia police department has been dysfunctional for a number of years … (sigh)


Anyone remember about 20 years ago ? (re-sigh)



// …/… Whether intentional or accidental, the police firebombing of MOVE headquarters (a tenement housing the "John Africa MOVE" family and their arsenal) in 1985 was a colossal blunder, resulting in the deaths of 11 cult members. According to CNN, "The fire destroyed 61 row houses, including MOVE's, and left 250 people homeless. Of the 11 people killed in the fire, five were children." ("Philadelphia, city officials ordered to pay $1.5 million in MOVE case," June 24, 1996) …/… //


http://tinyurl.com/26mn9x

Best,
L'Amerloque

LA Sunset said...

Hi Amerloque,

That incident certainly passed through my mind, when I read this story. But, we can go back even further than the MOVE episode, remember Frank Rizzo?

I do not know where they got their nickname, but for as long as I have been alive, there hasn't been a lot of "brotherly love".

ETHOS said...

Neighborhood watch are only only as good as the people reporting the incident. What if a call is made to ambush a patrol officer who by the way is train and insured and has taking the unrewarded unappreciated job of protecting its citizens.

What are the guardian angels going to do against a group of armed thugs and as stated with no guns no insurance and a lack of police manpower to respond to their calls.

Here is a valid suggestion:
Why doesn't the Police Chief put out a call the the thousand YES thousands of retired police officer s across the U.S. who have the experience, training, and tactics and who as per a presidential bill are authorized to carry a firearm across any state. Why not temporarily hire just the well proven proactive well trained officers to lower the crime rate as much as 50% and give the city back to its citizens. sort of like "HAVE GUN AND EXPERIENCE WILL TRAVEL" then when the crime rate decreases they can go to another state if when needed.

There are retired law enforcement who would answer the call on a temporary basis. 1 or 2 years.

LA Sunset said...

Joe,

//Why not temporarily hire just the well proven proactive well trained officers to lower the crime rate as much as 50% and give the city back to its citizens. sort of like "HAVE GUN AND EXPERIENCE WILL TRAVEL" then when the crime rate decreases they can go to another state if when needed.//.

My guess is, they are already broke and cannot afford it. Philly is a badly mismanaged city.