Editorial for August 16, 2007 edition:


Do what it takes

Who among us doesn’t long for the good days when a murder in the Great Northeast was the exception, not the rule, in this safe haven of the big mean city?
The brutal slaying of a grocery store owner in Crescentville last week, just the latest pebble in a wave of crime that’s rocking our safe and secure world, is stark evidence that while the City of Brotherly Love suffers, the folks with the power to do something do nothing.
Why must Philadelphia wait until Michael Nutter surprises nobody by taking the oath of office as mayor in January to enact his plan to stop and frisk anyone suspected of carrying illegal weapons? The fact is, martial law often restores order to uncivilized societies.
Why must Philadelphians, and all Pennsylvanians, for that matter, wait until common sense or an angry electorate finally prevails upon the state legislature to tell the NRA to hit the road by passing gun-control measures that actually respond to the homicide frenzy?
It’s time for everybody who is anybody in public service and law enforcement — from Police Commissioner Sylvester Johnson and Mayor John Street, to Gov. Ed Rendell and state Attorney General Tom Corbett, to declare a state of emergency in Philadelphia. Do whatever it takes to saturate city streets with police officers. Get emergency funding from the state and federal treasuries. Rehire recently retired cops. If necessary, Mr. Rendell should interrupt lawmakers’ precious summer vacation by calling a special session of the legislature to deal with these issues.
The time to panic is past; if ever there was a time to overreact to a public crisis, this is it. In seeking solutions, everybody needs to think outside the box.
Otherwise, tragedies like last week’s slaying in Crescentville will be no big deal. ••

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