Sylvester Johnson retires in Philadelphia as police commissioner. My question is did he get a fair shake and should he be the blame for the rise in homicides in Philadelphia?
Philadelphia’s homicide rate of more than one murder a day cast a shadow on Johnson’s crime-fighting legacy, as well as erodes the confidence of the city’s residents in the police ability to protect them from harm.
Some may say that, if you were to hold the police commissioner to the standards of performance held to other jobs. Then his legacy and competence should come into question.
When Johnson took office in 2002, the city recorded 288 murders, the lowest yearly total since 1985. In 2005, 377 murders, 2006 there were 406, the most in 10 years. In 2007, there were 392 murders, and Philadelphia had the highest homicide rate among large U.S. cities
In Johnson’s defense, 406 homicides in 2006 and 392 in 2007 is a reduction, how ever so small. Also city crime static’s show a drop in overall shootings, down 13 percent in 2007 from the previous year, and that violent crime was down in 22 of the city's 23 police districts. This may all be fluff and number padding, since people just want to feel safe and the plain truth is that a homicide a day will keep residents disheartened with Philadelphia Finest.
Philadelphians hold some of the blame as well. The Stop Snitching epidemic ties detectives’ hands and delays investigations in where crucial evidence only becomes relevant shortly after a crime has been committed. Given this problem Philadelphia police commissioner as well as every police commissioner in the country should focus on how to convince reluctant witnesses to have a moral oblitgation to come forward and how to protect them if they come forward.
The new commissioner Charles Ramsey will face the all the same type of pitfalls and roadblocks that Mr. Johnson has faced and will be under the same microscope. Philadelphia this may take some time to sort out. Was the Sylvester Johnson regime held back due to ineffective leadership, incompetent administration, or a regime that had run its course? Remember Johnson’s first term in office he dropped the murder rate to the lowest it’s been in twenty years; however since that time it as slowly climbed and gotten dreadfully out of control.
Commissioner Ramsey, you have your work cut out for you. I hope the Police Administration, City Counsel, the Mayor, and City Residence help and join in the fight.
