A former District of Columbia police chief was tapped on Thursday to become Philadelphia's next police commissioner, taking over a department trying to stem a rise in murders and a series of shootings targeting police.
Mayor-elect Michael Nutter chose former District of Columbia police Chief Charles Ramsey for the top job. He replaces commissioner Sylvester M. Johnson, who is retiring at the end of the year.
"We need a strong leader who has the presence, the record and the passion to make a difference on the streets of Philadelphia," said Nutter, who takes office in January.
Ramsey is a Chicago native who worked in that city's police department for 31 years before going to Washington. He oversaw the District's 3,800-member force from April 1998 until he was forced out in December with the election of a new mayor. He has worked as a consultant since his departure.
Ramsey, the public face of the investigation into the 2001 disappearance of government intern Chandra Levy, was the District's longest-serving police chief in more than three decades.
He was credited with overhauling the department, increasing spending for training and tightening policies on deadly force. He was also praised for cutting crime in many neighborhoods.
Ramsey assumes the mantle in Philadelphia as the city grapples with increasing levels of gun violence and a spate of police shootings, including the slaying of a police officer earlier this month.
"We've got a very good police department here ... with a lot of committed men and women," Ramsey said, "and my job is just to lead them in the direction that's going to make our streets safer."
Ramsey said to fight crime he wants to use more "stop, question and frisk" searches, add hundreds of police officers to the city's 6,500-member force, and increase the use of surveillance cameras in problem areas.
__
On the Net:
Philadelphia Police Department, http://www.ppdonline.org
Mayor-elect Michael Nutter: http://www.nutter2007.com
No comments:
Post a Comment