Philadelphia Police
Department reorganizes

By William Kenny
Times Staff Writer

Last weekend began on a positive note for the Philadelphia Police Department.
Less than two days before the fatal shooting of Sgt. Stephen Liczbinski by suspects in a Port Richmond bank robbery dealt another tragic blow to a department confronted by seemingly constant violence, Mayor Michael Nutter and Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey offered some good news on the crime front during a City Hall news conference Thursday.
In the three months since Ramsey submitted his broad-based crimefighting strategy to the mayor, hundreds of additional uniformed cops have been put on patrol, murders and other violent crimes have waned and police have improved their rate of crime solving.
Yet, in spite of those positive indicators, Ramsey was quick to qualify the short-term success within the context of the long-term.
It took just two days for the commissioner’s words to prove prophetic as Liczbinski on Saturday became the third city police officer slain in the line of duty in two years, joining Officer Chuck Cassidy, who was fatally shot during a robbery of a West Oak Lane Dunkin’ Donuts last Oct. 31, and Officer Gary Skerski, who was fatally shot during a robbery of Pat’s Café in Northwood on May 8, 2006.
"We are making good progress toward achieving (our) goals," Ramsey said on Thursday. "However, the summer months lie ahead. Those are the months that historically have been the most violent."
In addition to updating the city on the latest violent crime trends, crime-solving rates and police manpower status, Ramsey announced a major restructuring of the police department’s administration. He named the promotion of four new deputy police commissioners and a redistribution of numerous department functions, as well as the division of its patrol bureau into north and south regions.
Nutter, meanwhile, signed an executive declaration allowing certain police department employees enrolled in the city’s deferred retirement option plan (DROP) to extend their scheduled retirement dates by up to an additional year.
The measure is expected to slow retirement-related attrition of the 6,600-member police force, at least until more recruits can be hired and trained to replace retirees.
"We’re asking police officers, ‘Please think about the city you’ve served and you’ve loved and think about staying a little longer," Nutter said.
The city officials used poster boards to highlight some key data from the previous three months.
A total of 293 officers were added to uniformed patrol functions, including 109 new academy graduates and 194 from previously specialized units. Meanwhile, the department lost 45 patrol officers due to attrition, resulting in a net gain of 248.
In Ramsey’s crime plan released on Jan. 31, he had set a goal of adding 200 more officers to patrol.
All 109 of the new Police Academy graduates were assigned directly to the nine high-crime districts identified by Ramsey in January, as well as the 16th district in West Philadelphia, which was not initially included in the high-crime list but added after a spike in violence there. The 15th district in the Northeast and the 25th district in the East Division were among the districts to get newly sworn officers.
An additional 49 officers were transferred to patrol after the dissolution of the strategic intervention tactical enforcement (SITE) unit in February. Meanwhile, 135 officers from the Narcotics Strike Force were assigned to patrol support functions as a floating tactical unit.
Crime-wise, Ramsey reported a 24 percent drop in homicides year to date from 135 to 102. The goal is a 25 percent drop for the year. There was a 25 percent decline in shooting victims year to date, compared to the goal of 20 percent.
Part One violent crimes including robbery and rape were down 4.1 percent, well short of the 20 percent goal for the year.
The homicide "clearance" rate, essentially the arrest rate, was up to 77.8 percent, compared to 55.7 percent for the same period last year. The goal is a 65 percent rate for the year.
"These are obvious indications of progress," Nutter said. "(But) they are far from where they should be. We are far from satisfied."
Also during the news conference, the mayor repeated his call for stronger gun control laws statewide and expressed his frustration at the National Rifle Association’s legal challenge to the city’s attempts to implement its own gun restrictions independent of the state legislature.
Ramsey increased his staff of deputy commissioners from four to eight, plus a civilian chief of the new Office of Strategic Initiatives and Innovations.
Under the new leadership chart, former First Deputy Commissioner Patricia Giorgio-Fox is a three-star deputy heading the Office of Coordination and Accountability. Deputy Richard Ross gained a third star on his uniform and will direct field operations.
Two-star Deputy John Gaittens will command Organizational Support Services, while two-star Deputy Charlotte Council will head the Office of Violence Prevention and Victim Services.
New one-star deputies include Thomas Wright, the former 25th district captain, who will command Regional Operations North, and Kevin Bethel, the former 17th district captain, who will lead Regional Operations South.
Each region includes three patrol divisions. The Northeast Division is in the north, along with East and Northwest. The South Region includes the Central, South and Southwest divisions.
Former Chief Inspector William Blackburn, who commanded the Narcotics Bureau since March 2006, is now one-star deputy commissioner for Major Investigations. Former Inspector Stephen Johnson, who was in charge of the South patrol division, is now a one-star deputy in command of Homeland Security. Nola Joyce is the new civilian chief of the Office of Strategic Initiatives and Innovations.
Other promotions announced by the department on Monday included former Inspector Joseph Sullivan of the Northwest Division to chief inspector in the Field Operations office, along with former Staff Inspector Theresa Peay-Clark to chief inspector. Peay-Clark will remain in the Narcotics Bureau.
No personnel moves were announced within the Northeast Division. In the East Division, however, Inspector Joseph Marker was named the new division commander. New captains in the division include Kevin Hodges in the 24th district and Chris Werner in the 25th district. ••
Reporter William Kenny can be reached at 215-354-3031 or bkenny@phillynews.com