More Americans are being mugged as crime spikes in major cities, and more Democrats are being mugged by this political reality. The latest lurch away from the left on crime and policing is occurring in Philadelphia, the city of an unbrotherly spike in murder and mayhem.

Mayor Jim Kenney’s recent budget proposal includes a $23.7 million funding increase that would bring the police budget to $781.8 million in fiscal 2023. Current officers would get a $1,500 bonus and 9% pay raise over three years. The proposal also includes phone upgrades for cops to make it easier for the public to contact them, as well as improvements to the forensic science lab to solve crimes.

The Philadelphia Police Department has some 646 vacancies, and two members of the City Council recently released plans to increase officers on the street. Councilor Derek Green wants to pay new officers bonuses of $3,000 upon graduation, $3,000 upon completion of on-the-job training, and $4,000 after they finish their first year as a Philadelphia cop. Last month City Councilor Cherelle Parker released a 20-page safety and policing plan.

“I am unapologetic about my belief that community policing is the nucleus of it all,” she says. “If we are to improve police and community relations, if we are to allow residents from every zip code in the city of Philadelphia to tangibly see and feel a sense of safety in their respective neighborhoods, they have a right to see law enforcement proactively engaged in their communities—and not just because they are responding to a crime.”



Ms. Parker wants to add 300 officers for beat and bike patrols. Among other ideas, she also wants police to focus on quality-of-life problems such as blight, graffiti, litter and abandoned cars. This sounds like “broken windows” policing, which helped reduce crime in New York until the left rejected it. Old but good ideas are new again.

Philadelphia had 562 homicides last year, 58% more than in 2019 and the most since it started tracking. The city is on pace for a similar body count this year. Recent victims include Juan Carlos Robles-Corona Jr. , an eighth grader shot to death after school last week. Gun robberies and car and retail theft are also on the rise.

One large problem in the city is progressive District Attorney Larry Krasner, who brags about how many fewer criminals he has prosecuted or put behind bars. Criminals get the message and are taking advantage. Mr. Krasner won re-election last year, which means voters can blame themselves. But now they’re putting political pressure on the City Council and mayor to stop the crime spree.

Police funding matters, but more important is that officers believe that they have political support to do their jobs properly. Cops are less likely to risk their lives in pursuit of criminals if they fear they will become the primary suspects if there’s trouble during an arrest. At least the antipolice tide seems to be turning in America’s fifth-largest city.

LINK: https://www.wsj.com/articles/a...=1&mod=WTRN#cxrecs_s

If I was an officer in that situation, I would welcome the idea of more funding, but I would not like the fact of the District Attorney still being sugar daddy. You take down a felon at gunpoint, he's released from jail, and the DA fails to prosecute.

So where do officers stand in this situation, esp of the DA is not going to be booted out of office any time soon, assuming that's the case ?

I'm sure knowing Philadelphia is pertinent other things being equal, but I suppose it's more or less the same if you're working in a democratic run city.

So what do the police officers and officers of the court and other smart people of the great Sigforum say ?

"Let 'em loose" Larry Krasner never prosecuted a single case prior to his election. In fact, he made a name for himself by suing police and the city of Philadelphia alleging police excessive force. Murders, rapes, everything is way up. Here is his latest "reform."

Philadelphia district attorney Larry Krasner has presided over a surge in violent crime, and his new policy promises more of it. Krasner recently announced plans to de-prosecute crimes for offenders aged 18 to 25, ignoring how this age group tends to contain the most violent of criminal defendants.

Krasner’s office has established a new unit that will move some 18-to-25-year-old defendants into “rehabilitative programming” instead of seeking criminal punishments. As Krasner’s data dashboard demonstrates, “rehabilitative programming” is just a euphemism for dismissing charges. Krasner promises that the program will be limited to nonviolent offenses, including drug trafficking and other offenses. (The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that gun crimes will not be included, but Krasner has previously stated that prosecutions for illegal gun possession are “not only ineffective but unjust and racially discriminatory.” The link in the district attorney’s office data dashboard about Philadelphia’s Gun Violence Task Force takes the reader to a page that states “Article Not Found.”)

This new program reflects Krasner’s determination not to think like a prosecutor, but instead to think like the criminal defense lawyer he was. The program was developed by Sangeeta Prasad, a fellow with the district attorney’s office who previously served as a public defender in New York, New Mexico, and Philadelphia. Before assuming her current post, she had no prior experience as a prosecutor, just like Krasner. The chief public defender for Philadelphia has called the new unit “an incredible initiative,” but Philadelphia courts were not invited to the press conference announcing the plan and stated that they were not aware of the experiment.

The new initiative comes at an awkward time. In 2021, Philadelphia experienced the highest number of homicides in its history, and the violence is continuing in 2022. Indeed, Philadelphia homicides have risen every year that Krasner has been in office, as carjackings, shootings, and drug overdoses soar. What makes the policy more bizarre is that it runs counter to decades of criminological research. One of the iron laws of criminal conduct is the so-called age-crime curve, which demonstrates that the majority of serious crimes are committed by defendants between the ages of 15 and 25. This finding obtains around the world and has been replicated time and again.

Like one of my police buddies said " you can tell me where and when to work but you can't make me see anything. " he Is currently 6 months from retirement and working in Salt Lake City. He is no longer willing to be hung out to dry by a liberal mayor and county D.A. Can't say I blame him.

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:

The Philadelphia Police Department has some 646 vacancies, and two members of the City Council recently released plans to increase officers on the street.

First they'd have to find a sufficient number of candidates to fill an academy class, and they can't even do that despite pretty much abolishing all background standards, eliminating the polygraph exam, and waiving residency requirements.

They're bleeding manpower, either to retirements or to suburban counties. Cops have concluded-- rightly-- that it just isn't worth it in Philadelphia. There is no proactive policing because of the DA's policies (Fed161 hits on them) and no "cover" from the political class or media for officers trying to do ANY good work.

Money has absolutely nothing to do with it, but the functional morons in city government can't figure it out. A mystery, it is.

This desperation to fill police slots will bite these cities (mine included) in the ass within the next 5-10 years. This will come in the form of corruption and illegal acts due to hiring less intelligent, less able people with existing criminal histories and drug use. Standards have certainly been lowered, and continue to be.

The wise politicians in North Carolina have passed a new law that went into effect in December. If you are arrested and the prosecutor decides to dismiss your charge(s), misdemeanor or felony, ALL records of your arrest are automatically expunged.

There is now, going forward, no way for officers to know if a dirtbag has been arrested for gun/drug/domestic/assaults/ADW/shootings, etc. It is so common for these charges to be dismissed in my county that it’s unbelievable.

The pendulum hasn’t started swinging back, yet.

You make a good point. They will probably cut the psychological screening as well. Penny wise and Pound foolish. Cook County has the same problem with Kim Foxx at the helm as prosecuting attorney.

The lib cities wanted this, they got it. Stew in your own juices. Lawmen/women will go where they are appreciated. Why stay where you’re not wanted or looked down upon? We have no exodus of the law here in WV.

quote:

Originally posted by recoatlift:
The lib cities wanted this, they got it. Stew in your own juices. Lawmen/women will go where they are appreciated. Why stay where you’re not wanted or looked down upon? We have no exodus of the law here in WV.

I know what you’re saying, but unfortunately many of us are stuck. My state has a 30 year retirement. Guys who started before all this dumb crap took off are well around halfway or better to retirement and stuck, unless we want to take massive pay cuts to go to other agencies and start from zero, or give up our retirements completely. And there is a line somewhere that would make it worth it, but we’re not there yet.

The ones leaving us mostly are the ones that are in that 3-7 year mark. For their entire career the police have been hated. And then add body cameras. They don’t know what it can be like when you really have the nation’s support. Hopefully that will change.

True Americans want the lawmen/women back in full force. The politicians best change and start backing the law up…too bad it has come to fear of losing their political careers before they realize what the law does.

quote:

Originally posted by chongosuerte:
This desperation to fill police slots will bite these cities (mine included) in the ass within the next 5-10 years. This will come in the form of corruption and illegal acts due to hiring less intelligent, less able people with existing criminal histories and drug use. Standards have certainly been lowered, and continue to be...

The pendulum hasn’t started swinging back, yet.

110% true and accurate description of MANY departments across the nation! And scary as well!
Mark Chongo's words ladies and gentlemen, within the next 5-10 years, A LOT of "Police Corruption" cases will be popping up in these cities that decided to be taken over by mob rule, side with black lies matter, and defund the police.
Philly, New York, Chicago... As well as smaller towns near you.

DennisM is also 110% right as well.
NO ONE WANTS TO BE THE POLICE ANYMORE! Across the country, there's a dip in recruiting numbers. Liberal areas are even worse! I'll cite Chicago as an example: years ago, we would have thousands lined up to take the entrance exam. 28,000 applicants in 1993, (+/-) 20,000 in 1995 when they first introduced the college requirement.
Chicago would test once every 4-5 years.
Nowadays, were testing 3-4 times a year... Last testing- 39.... Thirty fucking Nine people.

More people retired that month than took the test.

A class for 50 people started in Oct.
36 showed up the first day, 32 the next...

With numbers like that, my department and others are going to need to "lower the bar" for hiring standards. In a few years from now, that person that got on the job with a few domestic arrests, let's not be all shocked and aghast when they get arrested for beating the shit out of their girlfriend/wife... Oh, only a few theft arrests? No convictions? SURE, COME ON IN!!! But in 6 years when that officer is stealing from the drug dealers, or making "$50 traffic stops"- don't ask why...

No organization has ever been improved by lowering their standards.

Of our class of 50 that started in Jan... we have 7 left.

We are around 150 officers short and more than 7 people will retire/quit before those 7 graduate this summe4.


No one wants to do this anymore.

Damn. We just graduated 30 yesterday. They started at 40. Got another class about halfway through and they are at 35 from 40 so far…but just started the difficult sections.

We had 30 show up for testing Wednesday. Ten failed the written, 10th grade level comprehension.

We test twice a month to try to run 3 classes a year of 40. It’s nearly impossible.

just because I gotta know, what age range are the oldest candidates? What's the oldest to go through?

We don't have an age limit, as long as you can do the physical test and pass the medical exam. We have had candidates go through in their late 40's.

We’ll hire from 21 and up. No limit. Oldest I remember was like 52. Usually it’s mostly 22-25 with a couple in their 30s and maybe one every couple of classes over 40.

My 14 year old could pass our hiring agility test. It’s been decreased to where a fit person can do it in under two minutes. What gets people is if they can’t complete the three sets of ten push-ups, which are broken up between other actions.

I’ve said it many times before.

What the other fellas are saying is completely true.

The solution-

A union based federal police force (think TSA on steroids).

The government will come to the rescue.

I think the politicians want it to where no one wants to do the job for this reason. Despite the press and words of the police haters, most cops nation wide are very conservative. You can’t violate people’s Rights wholesale with a bunch of guys and girls that actually give a shit about the Constitution and vote Republican. Replace them with a government drone from sector 7 C and it becomes simpler.

Reading all this makes me think the movie Robocop and its depiction of Detroit (crime-ridden shithole) and its police department (overwhelmed, demoralized and about to be replaced) was amazingly prescient.

quote:

Originally posted by jljones:
I’ve said it many times before.

What the other fellas are saying is completely true.

The solution-

A union based federal police force (think TSA on steroids).

The government will come to the rescue.

I think the politicians want it to where no one wants to do the job for this reason. Despite the press and words of the police haters, most cops nation wide are very conservative. You can’t violate people’s Rights wholesale with a bunch of guys and girls that actually give a shit about the Constitution and vote Republican. Replace them with a government drone from sector 7 C and it becomes simpler.

This, unfortunately. A national police force is exactly what our government wants. If it happens, say goodbye to sheriffs that buck the narrative and actually protect our rights as per the constitution. Say hello to drones that are “just doing my job”.