Perzel: ‘Enough is enough,’
city needs more cops

By Tom Waring
Times Staff Writer

State Rep. John Perzel has been around long enough to know that his bill to dramatically increase the number of police officers across Pennsylvania needs the support of 102 representatives, 26 senators and one governor to become law.
"We’re addressing that one," he said of Gov. Ed Rendell.
Perzel (R-172nd dist.) held a news conference last week at the Police Administration Building to urge the governor to back the proposal. Rendell, a former mayor of Philadelphia, has said the plan is too costly.
Joining Perzel at the May 30 event were Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5 spokesman Gene Blagmond and Reps. George Kenney, John Taylor, Karen Beyer and Jay Moyer.
House Bill 1189 would add 10,000 police officers across the state — including 1,345 in Philadelphia — over the next four years. The program would be administered by the state attorney general’s office. Funding would be allocated based on a formula that weighs a county’s existing number of officers, crime rate and population.
"This is our priority," said Kenney (R-170th dist.).
Perzel cited rising murder rates in Philadelphia and Reading and increased robberies in Harrisburg as some of the reasons he introduced the measure.
"Enough is enough," he said.
The proposal would cost the state about $300 million over four years. The funding would come from reductions in the administrative budgets of both the legislative and executive branches.
Counties would apply for a share of the funding and match 30 percent of the state commitment. The municipal government would match 20 percent. That would mean Philadelphia, as both a city and county, would pay 50 percent.
Perzel estimated that the cost per officer — including recruiting, training, salary, benefits, equipment and pension — would be about $100,000. The state would continue to commit money after 2011 and through the career of each officer.
"Helping local government fight crime by hiring more police is not a Republican or a Democratic issue. It’s a Pennsylvania issue," Perzel said.
When Perzel was serving as speaker last year, a similar bill passed the House of Representatives but stalled in the Senate.
Now, Perzel and Republicans are out of the majority in the House. The bill, though, is in the Judiciary Committee, which is chaired by Rep. Tom Caltagirone, a Democrat friendly to Perzel. The ex-speaker has also been talking to leaders in the Republican-controlled Senate.
If the bill does not make it out of the committee, it would be offered as an amendment. Supporters are hoping to pass it this month during budget negotiations. Perzel is not a member of the GOP House leadership team but is participating in budget talks.
While Rendell has expressed concern over the cost, he has indicated he favors an increase in police personnel.
"We agree with the governor," Perzel said.
Perzel, Kenney, Taylor (R-177th dist.) and Rep. Tom Murt (R-152nd dist.) are among 40 members, Republicans and Democrats, who signed a letter to Rendell calling on him to back the measure.
The initiative would provide enough funding to ensure every county has a police force of at least 30 officers. Rural areas that have no police force — and therefore are patrolled by the state police — would be able to begin hiring officers.
Moyer, a Montgomery County Republican, is happy that his home county will receive 576 new police officers. Beyer, also a Republican, is pleased that Lehigh County will get 220 officers, mostly in Allentown.
Supporters hope the fact that every area of the state is covered in the bill will lead to widespread support.
"This is not just an urban proposal," Taylor said.
Taylor called the bill "the most innovative proposal" that the legislature will consider this year.
The lawmaker said that the increase in officers in Philadelphia will not just be about lowering murders, shootings and violent crime. Describing the Philadelphia Police Department as "undermanned," he thinks a beefed-up force would be able to better respond to quality-of-life 911 calls on neighborhood blocks.
Blagmond, the police union official, backs the legislative proposal.
"We need a lot more police officers," he said. ••
Reporter Tom Waring can be reached at 215-354-3034 or twaring@phillynews.com