At this point, it's a little difficult. Maybe Commissioner Dexter Green can explain it. But right now his salary is paid by the School Board. And I think his responsibility at this point is to the School Board. We're going to sit down sometime in the very near future of how -- and we work very closely with one another. But at this point, he reports -- although he has the title Deputy Commissioner of Police, I guess his immediate boss would be the School Commissioner at this point. Maybe Commissioner Green can explain a little better than me. It's a little difficult at this point, but I think we can really straighten it out sometime in 882 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) the very near future.
Dexter Green, Deputy Commission of External Affairs. And I also hold the title of Chief Safety Executive for the School District of Philadelphia, and in that role, I report directly to the CEO of the School District of Philadelphia, currently the acting CEO, Dr. Farmbry, reporting to her. I also report to the School Reform Commission under the leadership of Chairman Jim Nevels. And for me, it hasn't really been a problem holding both roles. At the School District, I'm accounting for and responsible for the School Police Department as well as -- there's another branch of my operation which is the prevention and intervention side of the house. And in doing both roles, it has worked out for me personally very well. On police issues, I report to Police Commissioner Johnson. On school issues, I report to Dr. Farmbry and the Reform Commission.
Aren't they all the 883 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) same? I mean, what's the difference?
For me there is no 4 difference because collectively and collaboratively we're both working for the same purpose.
Obviously, you know your job better than I do. I'm not going to question your judgment about it. On the other hand, just from a pure management standpoint, it seems to me that it is a little difficult -- I mean, notwithstanding your experience and your talent, it's a little difficult for a person to report to two totally different entities and maintain a certain level of accountability and responsibility. I mean, it would seem to me that the job needs to be in one place reporting to one entity about the nature of your work. And it's, obviously, very serious and very important. And maybe as the School Reform Commission goes forward or any other agreements that are made that that situation would get kind of squared away. I mean, if you're in charge of the School Police and school safety, it seems to me that you should be over at the School District or with the School Reform Commission because they're the new entity in charge. But I did 884 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) wonder about that. Now, the testimony also indicates that on average 13.6 percent of the total school student population was absent on any given day the 2000-2001 school year. Taking the school population, which generally reported in the newspaper is 212,000 students, that means 28,832 young people were absent from school on any given day last year?
And the testimony further indicates that at least 50 percent of the students were truant. What were the other 50 percent doing? They were sick that day?
They could very well be. The 13.6 percent, I think it was, includes all absences from school. It can be an excused absence.
14,000 kids absence from school for legitimate reasons?
On the 14,000 who were potentially truant, later in the testimony it says that in 2000-2001 the officers contacted and returned to school a total of 24,775 students across 885 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) the City. Now, how many of those students were a one-time return to school and how many of those students were multiple returns to school in the course of that school year?
I don't have those numbers with me. But that's one of the things that we've been looking to kind of track that the District was not tracking before I got there.
So at the moment we don't know whether they returned, quote/unquote, 24,000 students who could actually be 5,000 students who were returned four times, we don't know what --
Now, what happens with these students when we return them to school and what contact do we have with their parents or other guardian?
The students are returned to what we call the age-appropriate school, so high school students are returned to high schools, middle school students are returned to middle schools. 886 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) Anyone picked up in Center City is returned to the Truancy Center down in South Philadelphia.
Well, when you say that the various students are returned to a middle school or a high school, are they returned to their school?
They're returned to they're school if that's where they're picked up. If a kid is picked up in Olney Section of the City who goes to Overbrook, they're taken to Olney, not to Overbrook.
Even whether they go Olney or Overbrook or the Truancy Center, each school is supposed to have a program in place where they get, again, what they call age-appropriate education at those facilities. You asked me about the parental contact; and parents are notified.
What does that mean? Who notifies them and then what happens?
At the Truancy Center, that's Marilyn Carr who is the Principal at the 887 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) Truancy Center notifies parents, and parents are -- she requests that parents come and pick their teenagers up.
Most of the time they do. I don't know if you've ever met or talked to Marilyn Carr; and if you haven't, I would suggest that you take a visit to that Truancy Center. I would say that 80 percent of the parents come and pick their kids up from the Truancy Center. That's not true at the middle and high schools.
Can you lay out for us by way of any of the various reports or data that you might have access to, I guess on a ZIP code basis, the truancy that was experienced last year if you can determine how many students were single one-time truant in the course of a school year, two-time, five-time, ten-time, any of this multiple discussion that we've had? And do you know after a parent has picked up their child from being truant 888 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) whether the child ended up back in the Truancy Center or had been determined to be truant at a later point in time?
I can't give you that for school year 2000-2001. I could probably give you that information for this year, for this current school year.
Is there an overall safety plan for the 264 schools in the School District?
That's a written document. It was written back on May 1st of 2001, and it was also the same document that we took before Judge Smith in September of 2001.
And does that mean that there are also safety plans for each school?
That is correct. 889 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.)
If you could get that information to us through the Chair, I would greatly appreciate it. Lastly, how is the plan working in the context of some of the incidents that we've read about or heard about in the news media recently?
I think we're moving forward, but there's still a lot of work to be done, particularly in the area of training with School Police Officers as well as making sure that all of the building administrators understand their role and responsibility in school safety.
What are your ideas or what would our proposal be to ensure to the greatest extent possible that our school buildings and the area around the schools is close to 100 percent safe for the students and the staff and the faculty?
One of the first things that we did do is this whole issue of deployment of the 490-plus School Police Officers that we have, plus the NTAs and noontime aids. What we did was come up with a deployment strategy based on incidents, truancy, suspensions, to kind of ensure that we're, 890 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) first of all, deploying the appropriate number of people to each school. The other two things I think that are extremely important is, one, to get the School Administration in this whole picture. And finally, I think it's to make sure that the community and parents are involved in this process. We can't leave them out.
Last question: What resources do you need to improve safety at schools?
If that's the answer, then say the answer. I mean, I asked the question, so ... I mean, I understand.
More money honestly would help, but before I go that far, what I'd like to see more of is other governmental agencies -- more collaboration with other governmental agencies, for example, the Managing Director was up here a little bit earlier talking about DHS, more cooperation between the agencies who can provide services for the school kids. A lot of these kids need other services that the school cannot provide. And I'd just like to see us work more collaboratively with 891 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) other agencies.
What kinds of things? I'm sure in the course of this budget process we can have a longer conversation about it. Whether it's financial resources or support services resources, is there a plan or have you been able to develop a plan that takes you from where things are today to where you'd like things to be in a year or two and what kind of cooperation are you talking about trying to either inspire or encourage and what kind of cooperation are you not getting today that ends up being an obstacle or a barrier to you being able to do your job?
When you see the copy of the Comprehensive Safety Plan, right in the Comprehensive Safety Plan are some suggestions and recommendations as to how we can sure up some of these collaborations. And to date, let me say this, the District Attorney's Office has been very active with the School District. DHS has been very active with the School District, and we hope to improve that. The court system, the Managing Director mentioned Judge Sylvester, has been very supportive and very active with the School District. And 892 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) hopefully, we intend to enhance those relationships, is the direction we'd like to go in.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I have some other questions, but I'm sure my time is expired.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Blackwell.
Thank you, Madam President. Good afternoon, Commissioner. Thank you and the deputies and your department for all that you do for us in this City. We say thank you. My question to you is that I've been concerned about the move -- and maybe you can check this. I've been meaning to call you and ask you anyway. Maybe your people can check it out for me. I'm interested in misdemeanor court cases staying in the neighborhoods. So for the 18, for example, they have taken them out and everybody has to come to CJC. They've told me that, you know, it should be better because there, hearsay evidence is allowed so everybody doesn't have to come in town. But it creates a problem with seniors coming in town and 893 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) other people leaving their neighborhoods. And I believe the backlog -- and I'll deal with the courts when they come. I believe the backlog of cases may go down because people won't complain, but I believe the quality of life in neighborhoods will be decreased with this new move. I've talked to the judge about it, Seamus McCaffery, and apparently this has already happened. My question to you is, in your opinion or can you check for me to see if it makes a big different whether officers are at CJC or in the neighborhoods. Does it really matter? Does it affect the amount of money that the Police Department would spend for overtime? That's what I'm told, but common sense tells me that it's not so.
Well, I think what happens a lot of times, you have an officer who may be going to Municipal Court at the same time subpoenaed the Common Pleas Court. If he's going the Municipal Court, sometimes he's in the district and the problem that we're experiencing is that he may be in the 18th District and his case is being called CKC. And what happens with a lot of the judges is that if the officer is not there, they're dismissing the 894 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) cases. He can't be at both places. The other thing what I understand is that a lot attorneys are using the same excuse, that I can't be in CKC because I have to be in the District Court. Well, at least what was explained to me, if we have them all in the same building they just have to go floor to floor. We have them centralized and it will be better for the police officer and better for the attorneys because a lot of attorneys use the excuse, I can't come to court that particular day or I can't come to the hearing that day. And what you have are a lot of the victims frustrated because the case is scheduled three and four different times; the lawyer can't appear, the police officer can't appear. Where if we have them all in a centrally located place, then the excuse that I can't get there or I can't appear because I'm someplace else, they would eliminate that because they're all in a central location. But what I will do is research that. It has nothing to do with the overtime. It's just sometimes the officer who is in the Divisional Court may have an additional case in another court and he can't be at that one place. 895 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) The Police Department has really enhanced the amount of arrests that we've made, so the numbers are up. Although our numbers are up and our staff has been built up, the court system hasn't built theirs up. And a lot of times they can't handle all those cases. So I'm not saying they use excuses to get rid a lot of the cases, but we have a lot of cases that are being dismissed just for the mere fact that the officer is not there. And sometimes he's in the building and may have three or four different cases. But if he's not there at the time that the case is brought up and the defense counsel may come up with the idea, well, he's not here. And the judge is, well, dismissed. And he might be on another floor. But I will look into that. I will research that and we will do everything we can to make it better for the victim because sometimes they're victimized twice.
Thank you. I'll send you the information I have. And listen, 9 times out of 10 they're probably stuck outside trying to get in the building. That's a big issue, too. CJC can't even accommodate this increased 896 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) level. The new reportings we've had in the paper, about people getting in the building, I contend, are because the CJC can't handle that. So some cases are getting dismissed simply because people are trying to get in the building when their case is called. But at any rate, I'll send you the background information I have. I just wanted to know the part that the Police Department played. Thank you.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Commissioner, again, congratulations. You've come a long way in the Philadelphia Police Department. Based on some of the testimony that we heard this morning, it appears that there might be some difficulty down the road having enough police officers, at least that was my interpretation, where we need them to be in the neighborhoods. And that 897 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) leads me to an issue that I've discussed here before, but not too much really came of it. And again, I don't want to go in depth here, but here's what I'd like to know, and you tell me the detail you can give me. I would like to know how much money we spend, the Philadelphia Police Department, in the Highway Patrol Division's budget to patrol I-95, Schuylkill Expressway, Woodhaven Road, Vine Street Extension. And again, not to belabor it here, but I believe it is the responsibility of the Pennsylvania State Police, and we patrol that as a courtesy. And I believe we have -- and you don't have to tell me how many police officers, but I would like to know -- and you can provide the information to the Chair. I'm sure you don't have that number with you today. But I'd like to know how much money we spend hours a day, 7 days a 19 week, 365 days a year to patrol those roadways when 20 it's the responsibility of the Pennsylvania State 21 Police. 22
Well, again, in my 23 opinion, I think we spend too much money. I don't 24 know the specifics, but Highway Patrol when it was beefed up in December or November of 1997 with the 898 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) idea that they'd be a rapid response team, that they would be out there to go into the crime areas and go out and fight crime any time we needed a large amount of police officers at one time, they would be ready to respond and that could bring a whole group at one time. Without giving you the specific numbers, half of Highway Patrol is on the expressway. The fact that they are on the expressway has taken -- we don't have the ability to have a rapid response team anymore. If we can eliminate that, however, and go on to crime-fighting, which they were originally meant for, it would be a benefit to everyone. But, as I said, I don't know how we can do that. As long as the State is not patrolling, it is our responsibility to patrol it. But I would love to see Highway Patrol in the areas in the communities fighting crime where I think they should be. In addition to being a limited amount on the expressway, but if the State Police took over the entire expressways and the roads, it would really help us out quite a bit.
I'm sure it would, Commissioner, and that's why I don't want to belabor 899 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) and explain to maybe people that aren't up on the issue the actual details. Now, Commissioner, there's another area -- and I know the 800 megahertz radio system is slowly approaching the Philadelphia Police Department. But something that I've observed recently and it's really troubling me and it's something that we all have probably lived with the best part of our lives. It has to do what we call, at least on the street, wreck chasing. Commissioner, when there's a vehicle accident in the City of Philadelphia, many times two, three tow trucks are at the scene of a vehicle accident before the police, just there waiting in prey to get someone to sign a paper to have their vehicle towed away from the road and sometimes to sign away, make a commitment that they're not even aware of, to repair the automobile. Commissioner, I don't know what we can do, but it appears to the public, and I've received calls about it, that the police -- I don't know at this point whether it is legal. I observed on the expressway, on the Schuylkill Expressway recently, where there was a minor fender-bender and the whole shoulder of the road had 900 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) tow trucks there that were monitoring police radio, which I believe is not legal. There's an ordinance 4 that says who can listen in, the media and other organization that can legally monitor the police radio. But most of the tow trucks have T Band, have police radio in there. And again, like I mentioned, they're there before the police in many cases. Are the police, are they supposed to be saying to those tow truck drivers, "Get out of here, you're interfering with a police process here"? I know it must be reassuring to see all these tow trucks, but they're fighting for the wreck. We all know about wreck chasers, that they go out and they snag these cars and tow them to their favorite body shop and get a piece of the action. But I think it's personally starting to disturb me to see every time there's a vehicle accident, whether it be on the Boulevard, whether it be on the Expressway or I-95, this windup of tow trucks there just waiting to snatch one of these wrecked cars. And the police eventually arrive and the tow trucks seem to be able to stay there. I don't know, is it legal? Is it appropriate? What can we do to deal with this situation? 901 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.)
Well, it is and it has been a concern of mine before. Because a lot of times we have these accidents, a lot of times it's the person's first accident, they don't know how to respond or they might be injured and they might sign something that they're not cognizant of what they're doing. I'm going to have our people who will be able to look into that problem. We had a problem maybe four or five years ago that we felt as though, and I'm trying to be very candid with you, that some of the police officers may be collusion with some of the tow truck people that they're pushing some away and accepting others. That became a problem also. But I think it's a serious problem that we have to look at and solve, and I'm willing to do that. We'll get back to you with our results.
Commissioner, I think it's important. I think the obvious part of the problem and I think we'll have to deal with it, when you cut over to the new communication system, the ability for -- and I'm already getting calls from various people asking me how they're going to be able to monitor the new police communication system. 902 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) So that in itself might put them out of business, but there will be scabs out there that will probably bootleg and give them the ability to monitor police radio. But I think if there is a law that prohibits tow trucks from monitoring police radio, then they ought to be either confiscated or arrested by the police officers at the scene when these wreck chasers show up. I think that should be the first step if in fact it is illegal for them to have it, and I believe it is.
It is my understanding that it is not illegal for them to have it.
I read the ordinance 15 and it's very specific because that ordinance was written back in the 70's. It states the media, and nowhere in there does it say that private tow truck operators are permitted to monitor police radio. I hate to disagree with you. I might be wrong and I'll apologize.
I apologize to you if I am wrong. But what I will do is I'll have it researched today and I will get back to you today. If the law is they cannot monitor and they come to a location and they're not supposed to be there and 903 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) they have a radio, then we will enforce that. I don't have a problem enforcing anything that's on the books. But let me research that and have our attorneys research that to find out whether it is or not. I'm not positive myself.
And I'm recollecting that that ordinance was written to prohibit that from occurring. There might be authorized tow trucks that have that ability, but I don't believe that that is the regulation. And again, I don't want to say too much here, but the problem that we had which motivated that was burglars were monitoring police radio, and the minute they heard the call go out, they beat it.
Councilman, I will research that today. I will get back to your office today.
And Commissioner, the indication that you'd be supportive of the Pennsylvania State Police to some degree, either overlapping I think is a good move because we could use those officers in Highway to fight crime. Not that they're not fighting crime out there on the roadway, they are. But if somebody else would pick 904 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) up the tab to do that or at pay us to do it. Thank you.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Miller.
Thank you, Madam President. Good afternoon, Commissioner and Deputy Commission, and congratulations.
I have a couple questions. I just want to follow up and make some comments and ask for your input concerning the troubled corners. In my district there's one corner in particular that I ride past almost every day on my way home. And I know some of the guys on that corner are selling marijuana and I'm not sure whether other drugs are being sold there. But the 14th District has targeted that corner and they've 905 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) arrested at least one individual several times. But what baffles us in the neighborhood is that he gets arrested, he gets out, and he comes right back to the exact same corner each time. If we rode there right now, he'd probably be on that corner. Do you think that there's some way that the community at this point could partner with the police to free this corner? It's a troubled corner. There's a store on the corner. It's my understanding people like those types of corners because people are coming there to go to the store anyway. It's just a good place to be on the corner of a neighborhood store. Do you think there's anything to do? We were talking about having a sit-in.
I was up in the 14th District not too long ago on a real cold night on one corner. And as we were sitting out there freezing, they were inside looking at us laughing. It didn't solve anything that particular night except us being out. I think you have other cities where a person is arrested and they go to court and they are found guilty, one of the stipulations for their 906 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) release or their probation is that they're not allow to associate with certain people or they will not be allowed to go back on that corner or designated corners that they can frequent. I think we are going to have to bring the judges into this as one stipulation of the patrol. But I think the important thing is that the community and the police do work together to take over these corners. A lot of times what we find is people who are selling drugs on the corners who are arrested, and I'll check our record, numerous amount of time, 4 or 5 or 10 times that they go to court. And the judges in their court rooms have to take this serious. It's more so than just a release -- a lot of times if it's not a violent-type crime they're arrested for, normally they get out on nominal bail and they come right back on those same corners. And the only thing we can do is arrest them again. It sometimes became a problem with the police officer; why should we arrest them and he's going to get back out? My opinion is arrest him again. We will continue to do our job. And now the courts are going to have to do their jobs. So I think by working together and communicating with one 907 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) another and networking that we can solve this problem. I think the drug markers are important, but I'm not sure whether they're as effective now as they were at one time before, because they just move to another corner. Or they get rid of that corner that particular day, but they come right back as soon as the police officers or the community leaves. But it has to be some way that we can say to the citizens of Philadelphia that we're just not going to let drug sellers take over our community. And my intention is to arrest, but not just take them locally, but take them federally because there's a different penalty when they go federally. And I think that we can solve the problem as long as we work together and communicate with one another.
Okay. Because we'll probably be meeting with someone at the 14th District to figure out how we can tackle that corner. There are some other corners in that particular neighborhood that we worked on over the years, and we've been very successful. But this individual's head is just real hard, and I guess he just thinks he's just going to operate his business there ongoingly. 908 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) I was in the Caucus Room, I guess about a month ago, and I did see part of the Heads Up Program. And I thought that that was really a good program. I mean, it told me a whole bunch and a whole lot about drugs and, unfortunately, the violence that goes along with it. How are you using the program and where are you using it and when? I know you should be using it in schools. I missed the beginning of the introduction of the Heads Up Program, but I thought it was a really good prevention program, educational program, not just for children, but also for adults.
The program -- to give you an idea of what the program consists of, the first 10 minutes of the program is prisoners from Graterford Prison talking about their life experiences. And most of the ones that are talking are from Philadelphia. After they've talked and give them an idea of how it is to be in prison, we have Philadelphia Police Officers who will give you history and identification or definition of all the drugs, heroine, cocaine, the different types of drugs. And they will show pictures of different drug houses and drug corners. In addition to that, 909 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) after they show the pictures, it's pretty graphic, they actually show films of people who have died because of drugs. And in the film you will see Belushi, Jimi Hendrix, people who are known entertainers, rich people to show these kids that it's not just affecting the younger kids or poor, it's affecting everybody. So after that, we actually show pictures of kids who have overdosed and who have been killed because of the drugs. But in addition to that, after that is done, then we have people from the rehab community and the ex-offenders that will talk to the audience. After that, we have parents who have lost their children because of guns or because of violence because of drugs. So what you have is a partnership at one location between prisoners or inmates, the Police Department, ex-offenders, rehab community, parents everyone working together to try to solve our problem. When you deal with drugs and you go to the different schools, it's all about choices. And one bad choice can ruin your entire life. We try to send that message to the children. So far we've been in front of approximately 27,000 children in 910 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) the City of Philadelphia and we've been to almost all of the public and Arch Diocese schools, the high schools, and most of the junior high schools. We've been as far as Delaware. We've been over Jersey five or six times. We've been up in Harrisburg. We go anywhere we're invited to no matter what the time is because we think it's that important. The other thing, the officers that are presenting this program are normally volunteers. They go on a voluntary basis and at night they're out there on the street with the narcotics strike force enforcing the law. And the amount of times that we've shown it, we get additional photographs and additional parents want to be involved in this because drugs affect everyone. It doesn't make any difference whether your black or white, rich or poor. If you get yourself involved in drugs, it's going to ruin your life. But it will not just ruin your life, it ruins everybody's life that you're going to come in contact with.
Can community groups call and request that the Heads Up Program come out to community meetings?
We've been out to 911 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) community places, we've been to YMCA, we've been to churches. We will go anywhere we're invited to. We will go if the crowd is people or if it's a 5 thousand people. Wherever we're invited to, we will 6 show up. 7
You can call Chief Rooney 10 at (215) 685-1119 or 1120. They normally set up the schedule. And, again, we will go anywhere we're invited to no matter how the big the crowd is. You give us the date and time, and we will be there.
Good. I have a couple more questions. For the past, I guess, year and a half, I've Chaired a Task Force on Dangerous Dogs. I have a couple questions that talks about dangerous dogs and what's happening here in Philadelphia in relationship to the Police Department and just have some recommendations. Representatives from the Police Department served on the task force, representatives of the Research and Development and K-9 Unit. One of the recommendations that came out of the task 912 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) force was that we would like police wagons to be equipped with the animal control device. And I think currently you do have some of the these devices. Would you happen to know how many devices do you have, you know, that stick with that wire on the end?
I'm not sure how many we have now. I know at one time we had the dog nooses in the wagon. I'm going to have to research that and look into that. A lot of times we would respond if there was a vicious dog. And we had a problem with that because what happens, we would respond and we would wind up shooting the dog eventually. That became a problem with the SPCA. So it's something that we really have to work out and look into.
How do you rate the call just in terms of when you prioritize calls to respond to from citizens when someone calls and says they're being attacked or there is attack by a dog, a vicious dog. We just changed the name from "vicious" to "dangerous," but we mean the same thing. Because as you know and as we all know, there's been an increase, and we see it as a very serious public safety and quality of life issue in 913 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) neighborhoods. People that are accustomed to going out and taking walks in the morning and jogging for exercise are frightened to do that now because of the increased presence of dangerous-type dogs running through neighborhoods. If someone calls, how do you prioritize that call?
If they're saying they're being attacked, it's a top priority. We will respond right away. If it's a vicious dog out there that may be cornered, it's still a priority, but it's not the top as it is if a person is being attacked. If the call comes in that there is a vicious dog and is attacking somebody, then that is a priority call and we will respond right away, immediately.
We are also requesting that two police officers in each district be trained on the proper usage of the animal control device. We just want the Police Department to keep people trained in the area of animal control because the incidents of crime and injuries from these dogs is just growing, not just here in Philadelphia, but across the nation and, in fact, across the world. So we don't want you to forget that that type of 914 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) training is important and that we want police personnel trained to be able to respond to these dog attacks. And also, I think that that's probably something that should be added under the Neighborhood Services Unit because it is a quality of life issue out in the neighborhoods right now. We're working on legislation, we're continuing to work on that and there's a companion piece of legislation that was introduced at the State, I believe it may have been introduced last week, and we're going to have the State Department of Agriculture that controls the animal laws will be coming here to Philadelphia to hold hearings on this issue.
We will be glad to be a part of that and we'll also be glad to be a part of the solution of that, so whenever you set these particular hearings up or whatever concerns you have, we'll be willing to talk to you at any time that you want to sit down and talk. UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: May I say something, please. I know there's protocol, but I just want to say this is blessing. We're proud of you. We think you are doing a hell of a job. We 915 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) know you got a hard job. We know you got a hard job taking over for Mr. Timoney, but God bless you. And you Councilmembers, thank you for going back to work. President Verna, we love you. Okay, I'll leave. This is usual. I always get put out. I mean, things are going as normal. I usually get escorted out.
I have one more question on school safety. You asked the question earlier about whether any Councilmembers had been at COMSTAT, and I have been to COMSTAT. Lately I've been hearing about some serious reports of school violence at Cleveland, Gratz, and Gillespie. Those schools are in my district. And I was wondering do you use COMSTAT or will you be using COMSTAT to address violent crime, tracking of violent crime in schools? And are you satisfied that the reporting of these crimes by principals make the data relevant?
We're planning on joining forces with Deputy Commissioner Green, and I think it would be important that we have school COMSTAT. At the same time, I think we're looking to the fact that -- I mean, there's no doubt there's some 916 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) problems in the school. We would like to see that any crime that is reported in the school is immediately reported to the Police Department. I think we're working in that direction. There's a lot of disciplinary problems that happens in the schools that sometimes the principal is in charge or the School Board is in charge, like a small fight or some other disciplinary problems. But if a teacher is punched in the face or there's a criminal act committed, then the Police Department wants to be involved in it right away. The fact that we have a Deputy Commissioner over there, we now have an Inspector over to the School Board, we have six captains that are involved and meet with the principals on a continuous basis that we joined that liaison because if it's unsafe in the school, it's going to be unsafe outside the school. We have to have a coordination between what's going on in the school, what's happening in the school because they interact with one another. So we've been meeting with the people from the School Board. Dexter, even though he has another boss, he has three bosses I believe, but I'm one of them. So it's very important to me that we work very closely with the 917 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) School Board and we will work out these problems. School safety is a top priority in our administration.
I was at a Home and School meeting at one of the high schools, I guess, two weeks ago, and I did meet a police person and he explained to me how the new structure is and how they're assigned -- he may have been a sergeant; I'm not sure. But also, the principal expressed how happy she was that now she doesn't have to be directly responsible for school safety but the Police Department will be doing that now I guess in partnership with her and she thought that the new structure and new assignment of police officers was really good, the way it's assigned now.
Do you have these officers assigned to all of the comprehensive high schools.
Well, the officers inside the school are School Police Officers. The officers that are assigned outside the school are normally Philadelphia Police Officers. The six captains are Philadelphia Police Officers. The inspector is a 918 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) Philadelphia Police Officer. The Deputy Commissioner is a Philadelphia Police Officer. So but actually inside the school, they are School Police Officers whose responsibility and authority is inside the school. Because, again, once outside the school, it becomes a Philadelphia Police Department responsibility. But if there's a crime that happens inside the school, that is still our responsibility and we will go into that school.
Now that we've had -- I guess, most of the high schools have had that monitoring, that electronic --
Right. I think you've had them now for about a year in schools.
Well, some schools didn't have them before and then they got them recently or more recent than the others. At some point perhaps, Deputy Commissioner Green, when we have our School District hearings, I'd like to know how effective that mechanism has been in terms of number of incidents of crime and violence and 919 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) trespassing in particular, okay? Thank you. One other question. Commissioner, I have four police districts in the 8th District, the 39th, the 14th, the 35th and, of course, a small portion of the 25th. And it has become increasing difficult to develop a good working relationship, ongoing continuity with captains, particularly in the 14th and the 39th because they're consistently transferred. Now, we've talked in the past about this, and I'm not talking about a transfer that happens as a result of a promotion because I know that that's going to happen in the 39th. I believe the captain there has passed a test for inspector and will be moving on. But some of those transfers have not been due to promotions. And it's really hard when you're working with captain, you're working well, the community starts to get to know them, the captain starts to get to know the community, and they're gone. And particularly in a district like the 39th, there's no administrative or executive officer there and so there's no 23 continuity. So presently when Captain Horn leaves, you know, there's just nobody there. So in the 39th we have two issues, turnover of captains, no 920 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) administrative officer. And in the 14th, I did talk to you about Captain Dorsey and requested that she continue at the 14th District if her leaving was not due to promotion. And at some point, we really need to sit down and talk about it because it is a concern of mine, of my constituents. We work really hard to build relationships with the captains, and then before you know it, they're gone and then we have to start all over again. In the last year or two years, we've changed -- the last three years we've had three captains at the 14th, and it seems like Castro was just at the 39th and Horn came. Now Horn's going to be gone. It just makes our job a little bit more difficult. And certainly, our relationship with the Police Department is vital and key because of the crime and violence that goes on in our neighborhoods. So we need to be able to build good working relationships. But the players change so often, it makes our job harder.
There are a couple reasons -- there's more than a couple reasons sometimes why captains leave. Sometimes in a real busy district, it's at the captain's request that he's there for two or three years. He gets burned 921 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) out and he requests to leave. There's other times that the administrators in the department, from myself to my executive officers, feel that a captain's not doing what he's supposed to do. And sometimes our responsibility is to make sure that we put the right person in those particular districts. There is some sort of incidents that are happening up there, and my feelings is that, and I believe it, that a captain should be a captain no matter what district he goes to, that he should be able to come to a district and step right in where the captain has left. It's very important to me that the captain is in communication with the particular district so when he arrives there, he should talk to the community people, he should talk to the politicians, get himself familiarized with what's going on. But he's a police captain getting police salary. And I know there's liaisons built there, but there's a lot of different reasons why captains are moved besides promotions. And I know the captain that you're talking is that sometimes in real bad places, we have to put certain people there. And I don't want to go into their personal problems, but there's times that captains that were 922 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) in the 14th District that have came and asked because of personal problems in their own families that they have that they would like to get something a little more amenable to what they're doing because the area that you cover is some of the most busiest districts in the City. And by it being very, very busy, after two or three years -- the average life of a captain in any district is two or three years before they get burned out because they go to community meetings and they're constantly moving and going. So I try to be amenable to those requests. But if there is something that happens that I feel as though that they violated departmental policy, they've done something that's demeaning to the department, to the community, then sometimes we may have to move them. But we always try to put a good captain in those positions. And we really have decided to pay patrol captains even more money than other captains get paid because we know it's a taxing job. But we will always try to work along with you. And from now on, if there is a move, I will call you up and tell you what captain you're about to get. And for a period of time when he comes there, he should be in communication with 923 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) you and should be able to work with the community. But every captain should be able to do that.
We understand that. What about what you call an administrative or executive officer at the 39th? The 39th is pretty busy.
Well, you know, my personal feelings again, and it is my feelings and it might change if someone else takes over my position, we had one captain in every district in the history of the Police Department up until four years ago. And it is his responsibility to run that district, the one captain. And when we came up with COMSTAT, I think we used some of the administrative captains as a crutch, that I'm so busy that I need another captain to be there for me. And sometimes it brings conflicts if you two captains there. I really believe that one captain has and should be able to run a district. There doesn't need to be two captains running that district. If he has officers there, say even in the 39th District, and we go by priority. We go by the amount of crime that's happening in that particular district, we go by the incidents happening in that district, we go 924 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) by the 911 calls in that district. And we have A Districts and we have B Districts. Right now the 39th is an A district. It may become a B District. But I really feel that a captain should be able to handle a patrol district. They always have. And in the future, we might go back to one captain again, that they have the administrative captain, they have the administrative lieutenant, they have the administrative sergeant. And then sometimes we have the problem we don't have enough people on the street. We've got to stop being administrative and put them where they belong, and they belong on the street out there patrolling.
Well, I think the 39th may change from an A to a B District because of the change in its boundaries. I think the change is working well. We had a really big thing welcoming Castro to our district. And before you knew it, he was gone. But the 39th is doing a good job in the area that it has expanded to. I think that's one of the reasons why it may change from an A to a B. I did not know originally that there were so few calls coming out of the 39th, but I believe with the increase activity, neighborhood activity that the 925 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) 39th could potentially change from an A to a B. It's just that when you have other districts and everybody else has an administrative captain, then you just think, Well, why doesn't the 39th have one? If it's based on volume and activity, then I can understand why there's no administrative officer there. I'd just like to continue to have dialog about what's going on in the districts.
Councilwoman, we have a number of other Councilmembers --
I'm finished. That's my last question. So I just want to make you understood that really impacts the community when we change captains all the time. Thank you.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Tasco.
And congratulations. And I want to thank you and the Police Department for all the good services you provide to us in the 9th District and particularly to the 14th for Vernon Road.
I apologize. I had a 926 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) o'clock meeting with the District Attorney and the head of the DA and I just asked Commissioner Mitchell to start the meeting for me. So I apologize that I didn't hear. I just want to have him go over there so we can start this meeting. It's all about drugs and crime.
Okay. I just want to thank you for the 14th District and Vernon Road. My questions are very minor. One, I just want you to know that we have a very serious problem -- mine is minor. I support everything else that's been said about drugs. But the other issue we have is enforcement of no truck parking in a residential neighborhood. I'm talking about these big large tractor-trailers. They should be ticketed whether there's a sign or no sign. You don't have to answer, I just want you to know.
They're just proliferating everywhere. So we want them ticketed, okay? The other thing is bike patrol. I wanted to know if the Police Department is going to 927 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) be able to put bike patrol on the street? And do we have to engage the business community in helping pay for that? I think it ought to be something that comes out of the Police Department's budget.
I think at this point we have enough bikes. At least that's my belief. We're going to have bike training sometime in the very near future. The only problem that we have sometimes -- as a matter of fact, I would prefer that the community don't buy the bikes because when they buy bikes, they feel as though they own the bikes and the officers. When they buy the bikes, they want the officers in certain locations, so I would rather it comes out Police Department budget and put the officers there and we can put them there where we need them. But there's going to be training for bike officers in the near future. We have bikes available, and I'll be willing to sit down and talk to you to make sure that you get your people there.
The Chair 928 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) recognizes Councilman Ortiz.
I want to go back to one thing President Verna said. We don't have a full complement of crossing guards hired, right, Commissioner Nestel, you said that? How many are we missing?
Oh, yes. As a matter of fact, what we normally do is try to get five at a time so that we can train them and get them uniformed and get them out there.
Do you have the list of the schools that are missing those crossing guards?
I'm sure our Patrol 929 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) Division does. That's who they report to. And the answer to that would be yes.
We'd like to have that because we'd like to know because I've been pushing that for a long time and I get inquiries about crossing guards from all over the City. So if you can give us that, I would really appreciate it.
And what is the projected time line for securing the full complement?
I can't tell you that, but I will check into it and get back to you. I can tell you that they hire them as quickly as they can and get them trained and get them out on those corners. But I will get back to you with that.
Commissioner, before I get into the other questions I have, I'm always interested and I ask this question every year. What is the status of Latino recruitment into the Police Department? What is the current percentage of the police force that is Latino? And if we have a breakdown of the numbers of Latino by captains, inspectors, sergeants, on down the line. 930 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.)
I'm not sure of every rank. And I'm not exactly sure of the percentage, but I think the percentage is -- while we're finding this, I'll say I have a strong working relationship with Salea (ph).
As a matter of fact, what happened was that they were planning on giving the test in November. Commissioner Timoney met with Salea. Salea requested that they delay the test for a full month while they went out there and recruited. And they did a well job in recruiting a lot of Latino officers. Only going by memory of what I believe is current, I know we have one Latino inspector. I think we have a Latino captain.
One. I'm not sure how many lieutenant's we have. I know we have at least maybe two or three. I'm not sure the amount of sergeants, but I believe the percentage of Latinos on the department is a reflection of the Latinos in the community or in the City at the police rank above the rank of patrolman, I believe. But what I will do, and I will do that today, is be able to get 931 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) back to you with the specific numbers of every rank that they have and what the percentages are based on the population of the City.
We used to have a policy in which percent of every class was 7 recruited from the Latino community and so on. I 8 know Timoney changed that. I don't know, because he 9 said that he felt that it could go higher. I don't 10 know whether that happened, whether it did go higher or not. But out of the classes, what's the numbers that you're expecting to have in the following classes that you're recruiting?
I believe, and Commissioner Estelle can probably verify it more so, but I believe in the last recruitment classes, the percentage were pretty good. Is that correct? From natural hiring.
From the natural hiring, our last couple classes have actually been more than 10 percent Latino.
Could we have some of that information available so that we can look at it?
I will have it for you 932 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) later on today or first thing tomorrow morning.
Commissioner, what is the status of Operation Sunrise? I like to tell folks that the concept of Operation Sunrise was in place before Timoney came on board, and I know that was part of your creation when you were Deputy Commissioner. But it was aimed at attacking the warehouse problem with drugs in the east, East Division. How has that been affected? Is the East Division still the warehouse of heroin and crack cocaine, or has that changed?
Philadelphia still has the most pure heroin in the nation. Of any other City in the nation, Philadelphia heroin is the most pure. I think over in East Division, and I look at the violent crimes, the reduction of violent crimes went down, the shootings and the homicides. After we took over -- we went on four phases and we were in our last phase, Phase 4, which encompass Ninth and Indiana, which I thought was the worst drug corner in the entire City. From Sunrise we went to Operation Take Back and Operation Take Back was at the time that I put police officers down there just to be visible. I wasn't concerned about arrests 933 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) because we made a major drug -- we took down a major drug organization that was supplying not only to East Division, but all other areas in the City. And when we took that corner down, we decided that we weren't going to give that corner back up. So right now -- and I ride by there every day because I took it personally, especially that corner, Ninth and Indiana. And I take all the drugs and the shootings personal. We still have a long way to go. It took us 25, 30 years to get into the condition that we're in today, and it's going to take us a while to get out of the condition. But I think the perception, if you talk to the citizens down there, that it's a lot better. At one time, 70 percent of the drugs that was coming to the City of Philadelphia was coming to East Division; 48 percent of the entire drug arrests for the City of Philadelphia, East Division; one-third of our entire homicide for the City of Philadelphia, east division. And I admittedly say constantly the Police Department totally and completely let go along with other agencies had let go. So we had to change the mind-set of the Department. We have to change the 934 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) mind-set of the community. And when we first went down there, we made numerous amounts of arrest. And I analyzed that. After making the amounts of arrests we made and not realizing that it was changing quality of life, that we have to go into something different. I decided to go into the rehab community because we have these reverse things down there and we would take over a drug corner and we would replace the drug sellers with police officers and in four hours maybe we would lock up a hundred people. Well, if you're an addict and you're arrested and you spend 48 hours in jail, when you come out you're still an addict. So we had to do something completely different. So when I went to rehab community and started talking with them to get them involved with this type of thing, right now we have something new that started. When we take over a drug corner and we replace them with police officers, as the buyers come in and we arrest the buyers, we take them to our command post. At the command post there's a District Attorney and also people from rehab. If a person signs up right then to go into rehab, they won't be arrested. We have to start going into prevention, we have to start 935 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) going into treatment, we have to start going to education. But as far as East Division, I'm not satisfied with the entire thing in East Division or in other parts of the City. But I think it's 75 percent better today than it was four years ago.
What are the numbers? How have the numbers? Changed from 70 percent to what now?
What about the drugs in terms of the amount of drugs stored, warehoused in the area?
Well, I don't think -- the suppliers never came to East Division. You would have some stash houses there, but working along with the DEA and the FBI and the District Attorney's Office, we've taken down 25, 30 major organization. So as we change our tactics, so have they changed theirs with the idea that they don't carry as much drugs no more as they did at one time because a lot of times they take them federally. They get sentenced on the amount of drugs they have on their 936 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) possession. At one time in North Philadelphia or in East Division they run a corner between 1500 and 2,000 a week to rent a drug corner.
Well, they're still renting them. I don't know if the rent came down or the rent went up, but they're still renting them. But at the same time, we don't have as many drug corners. But we don't go by corners any more, we go by complaints.
The to 30 14 organizations, were these all in the East Division 15 or across the City? 16
The 25 to 30 big 18 organizations that you took out -- 19
We had some in South 20 Philadelphia. Most of them were in East Division. 21 It's still -- from my experience and from my 22 knowledge, a lot of our drugs are coming from New 23 York right to East Division. We have I-95 here with 24 the seaport still coming to the East Division and 25 then they distribute to other places, the heroin and 937 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) the cocaine. A lot of the marijuana are still coming in maybe South Philadelphia or other areas. But most of the organizations that are supplying drugs in the City are still located in East Division. That's where their supply is at and that's where -- not so much the warehouses, but the dealers are at. But it's been reduced quite a bit. And that's why the meeting today is very important because we're meeting with people who can assist us in that, the DEA, with the FBI, with the District Attorney, with Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement, and we have people assigned to all these different agencies. We have to work together. We have to communicate with one another. But the other thing we have to do is, again, and I know all police officers don't agree with me, traditional policing will not solve this problem. We will never arrest our way out of this problem. Those who sell drugs live in our neighborhoods. Those who buy drugs come from outside the neighborhood. 35 percent of the people that we arrest come from outside the City.
Do you have numbers on that? Do you have statistics in terms of 938 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) documentation that shows that and able to provide it to us so we can look at it?
Not only do we have the numbers, we have the names and addresses. What we were doing a lot of times, when we lock up a person who lives outside the City, we will contact the area that he lives in. In other words, if he lives in Collingsdale, whatever street, we would call up that police chief there, give them the name of the person and what they were arrested for so they can put it in their local paper or at least they can be on the lookout with the idea -- because a lot of times people come to Philadelphia, buy our drugs, it's pure, it's available, it's cheap. They take it back and the cut it down. And where are they're a buyer here, they become a dealer in their own townships.
Through COMSTAT, you're able now to really detail how the drug dealers are moving around in the neighborhood? When one corner is being hit by police officers and your folks are around, you're able to trace those movements?
Well, we're able to trace their movements by a lot of things, but I think we 939 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) have to go into the different -- we've got to go into the wiretapping. We have to go into confidential informants. We have to do a whole lot of things that we've never done before. We're doing that. A lot of the information that we receive from the federal sector who has a lot more money than what we have, they like these long-term investigations. It might take them a year or two years to bring certain organizations down. We can't afford that in the City of Philadelphia because our organizations are not only dealing in drugs but they're dealing in violence. We have to attack the violence on a continuous basis right away. As many cases that I can possibly do -- and I've talked to the District Attorney and the U.S. Attorney who is concerned about this. As many people that we can take federally is to our advantage that they don't go to the local courts because a lot of times when you go to the local courts, they go to the Municipal Court hearing and they're out. They intimidate people. They do a lot of things. They're well organized. And we have to be as well organized as they are and better. And I think, at least in my opinion, we are more organized and better than they 940 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) are. We have a lot of law enforcement people in the City of Philadelphia. We have to work together. It doesn't make any difference who gets the credit for a big arrest. The people who gets the credit and that really benefit from it is the citizens of the Philadelphia. So at one time four or five years ago we wouldn't even talk to one another. That is no 9 longer the case. Law enforcement has combined. Law enforcement are working together and we're trying to change and will change the quality of life in Philadelphia.
What's the current number of police officers in the department?
Our goal and objective at this point is to make the 7,000 that we have go out there and work and deploy them and in the proper and in the right places.
The Council President was talking about the retiring, the DROP factor, the other aspects of the police. 941 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.)
I think at this point what we want to do is keep the same level of police at least stated at 7,000 that we gave present today. Now, with this DROP Program which is going to hurt us, that's why these promotions are beneficial to us. And we're going to have more promotions in the same time the hiring, but we don't want to lower the standards at all; and I don't think the standards have been lowered. We can only train so many people at so many times. I think Deputy Commissioner Estelle has put in place the most aggressive hiring practice that we can possibly do at this point. I don't think anyone anticipated so many people joining the DROP Program, especially all the command staff, but it's happened and we have to be able to react to it. And I think we are planning and reacting to it.
Have you been able to computerize every car right now? Do you have computers in ever patrol car?
And they are totally 942 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) connected so that they can really get quick to information?
How has that been functioning? What has been the results of it.
Well, we've had some problems. And I'm in communication with Deputy Commissioner. We have a Deputy Commission just charged to technology and he's constantly looking for improvements and doing improvements. We have some repairs that we have to do and some more innovative things that we have to do. My whole idea is we cannot stay status quo. We have to change. We have to take risks. We've got to do things that are better. We have to enhance the things that we're doing. In the area of technology, and I'm not a great person in technology, but the Deputy Commissioner I have is very knowledgeable in technology and I think he's doing other improvements based on the budget that we have to improve the quality of life for the police officers and the community.
Thank you, Madam 943 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) Chair.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman Nutter.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I'll be brief. Commissioner, I do need to go back to the area where I left off which was schools for one brief second because there was one thing that was not clear to me and I had an additional question. Deputy Commissioner Green made reference to some plans that had been developed and handed in or sent in, and I thought he said to Judge Smith. Can you give me a little more information about that, because I remember when Judge Smith was handling, I thought, a Human Relations Commission case some years ago and made a variety of rulings, some related to all-day kindergarten and a whole host of things. But I thought that that case was basically either over or jurisdiction had been relinquished. Deputy Commissioner, what did you mean by that?
Judge Smith is handling the deseg. case. And as part of that case, she required the district to develop a comprehensive safety plan, which it did. And it went back before Judge Smith 944 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) September 17th, and she was please --
Of 2001. And she was pleased with it and we're moving forward with it.
Now, the fact that she was pleased with it -- I mean, obviously I respect Judge Smith. What does that mean? And does that mean that the plan is the official safety plan of the schools? And how does that get communicated either through the schools or through to the students and the parents? What happens after it gets filed with Judge Smith?
It is the School District's safety plan for the district-wide safety plan. Every building administrator and every administrator at 21st Street was given a copy of that at convocation this year. Some 600 copies were given out. There was training along the lines of the comprehensive safety plan. We've developed a tri-fold that we give out at community meetings and that we give to community folks. And 20 copies will be given to Council President Verna.
I appreciate that. How do parents access the same 945 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) information and know about the safety plan at an individual child's school? I will tell you I certainly received no 5 information about that.
At every school there is a safety plan. The ultimate goal is that the comprehensive safety plan district-wide should be on the Web, hopefully, in a couple months. I'm not sure we have the capacity to do it. We hope to get the individual school plans on the Web. I don't know if the District has the capability of doing that.
The School Police Officers, are they a part of the same union as the Philadelphia Police Officers?
But as the person at the top, and I understand in basically somewhat of a paramilitary structure, you take your direction from whoever has been designated as the top of the unit. So in your capacity as either Deputy Police Commissioner or External Affairs or -- the other title is...
Chief Safety Executive. 946 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.)
Chief Safety Executive for the School District, they automatically have to report to you?
They report directly to me, that's correct. Well, not directly. Through their chain they report to me, that's correct.
Did I understand that there are six Philadelphia Police captains?
They're not assigned actually to the School District. They're signed to -- you want to explain that?
They are liaison people who are assigned and help out the principals. But they're in constant communication with the principals. They're assigned to the Philadelphia Police Department, but they're in communication to the principals based on geographic. In other words, we have one in the south, west, east, and in certain schools. But their immediate superintendent is the chief inspector of the department and they report to the department. I'm sure Dexter has some communications with them, but they're actually Philadelphia Police Captains. We thought it was important that at the 947 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) rank of captain we put them over there to show the School District that we're very concerned about what's going on in these schools. And they meet with the principals, they talk to the people from the Administration of the School District and they have no authority to -- I mean, the School Police, they report directly to the Police Department with recommendations and with complaints and with ideas.
These six captains, is their sole job school-related matters?
Well, I guess I mean whether Commissioner Johnson were working with Managing Director Richmond or with the Mayor or Chairman Nevels, it just seems to me that -- obviously, everybody wants to do a good job. And I'm not from Price, Waterhouse, Coopers or some management expert. But there are a lot of different people seemingly with a lot of different responsibility. And for something like this, one entity and one person really has to be in charge. And so ultimately, either the Philadelphia Police Department is going to be responsible for safety 948 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.) issues city-wide everywhere in all public places and in schools and I guess those officers potentially end up as part of the department, or the people who go in are just Philadelphia Police officers and ultimately accountable to the Police Commissioner or I know your possibly Secretary of Public Safety, the other title. But even in terms of some of the press accounts of incidents in schools, who reported them -- Commissioner Johnson, I heard you say earlier that every incident that takes place in a school should be reported to the Philadelphia Police Department. I think, again, at least if you can believe some of the news accounts, there have been times when in-school incidents have not been reported to the Police Department although they have been reported to School Police Officers or school administrators. I mean, you can't have this thing in a happenstance kind of fashion. It just seems increasingly there will be these issues, as they say, betwixt and between; in school, out of school; School Police Officer, Philadelphia Police officer. You're left with a bit of a matrix of who is in control here and who has ultimate responsibility. I'm concerned about that. 949 2/26/02 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 020001 (cont'd.)
I think the original plan, if I have it correct and I know I have it correct, was that we were going to send a Deputy Commissioner over to the school with the idea of evaluating of taking over the School Police. That was the original plan. I think things have changed a little bit since then. But the original plan and the idea of sending the Deputy Commissioner over to the School Board was to evaluate the feasibility of taking over the entire School Police.
And would the Deputy Commissioner then work for the School District?
The Deputy Commissioner would then work for the Philadelphia Police Department. And all police officers inside the school would be Philadelphia Police Department.
Okay. Because you mentioned earlier that technically -- this will be my last piece -- Deputy Commissioner Green presently is being paid by the School District or School Reform Commission?