PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — In the first six months of this year, with with 271 homicide victims, Philadelphia has surpassed year-end totals for both 2013 and 2014. A former top police official points to some things the Philadelphia Police Department did differently in those years.
In 2013 and 2014, less than a decade ago, the city had the lowest number of homicide victims since 1967 — 247 people and 248 people, respectively. Retired Deputy Commissioner Joe Sullivan — who was a chief inspector in those years — says there were more cops on the streets, a larger narcotics unit and a unified message among city leaders on gun violence.
He says it's critical for the police department to begin recruiting.
"It’s nine months of training each police officer. And currently there is no one in the police academy, and that is very concerning, considering the police department is at its lowest [staffing] level in decades," Sullivan said.
And more cops are retiring.
The narcotics unit, he says, was also three times the size it is today. Also, federal prosecutors were taking more cases involving guns and drugs.
"There has to be a better working relationship with the police and the district attorney’s office, probation and parole. That relationship isn’t what it used to be in terms of stronger enforcement, modality. Everyone has to be working together," Sullivan said.
"There is always conflict between the police and the district attorney's office — and the conflict is inherent and it’s healthy. You want there to be that, but now it’s somewhat dysfunctional, I believe."
There was a unified message among city leaders seven and eight years ago -- "that we are just not going to tolerate this anymore," Sullivan said. "The officers need to see, the community really needs to feel it, and those people thinking about carrying a gun."
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He says a small number of people are committing the majority of the crime, and law enforcement needs to be holding repeat gun offenders accountable.
"So that means when, two guys bump into each other on the street and they start arguing, if no one has a gun, it doesn’t escalate beyond a fist fight, if it even goes to that," he said.
Sullivan says he hopes the surge of money from the federal government will be invested in programs that are proven to work, such as Temple University’s trauma outreach program.
"This is Philadelphia's opportunity. They got the money, now it’s a matter of do they have the will?"
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