By David Gambacorta
The Philadelphia Daily News
PHILADELPHIA — City Hall filled with the unmistakable - and unmistakably foreign - sounds of people cheering and clapping when Police Commissioner Ramsey showed up at a news conference on April 6 and pulled a Jerry Maguire, announcing, in so many words, that Philly completed him.
He had decided against pursuing his dream job - superintendent of the Chicago Police Department - in his hometown to keep fighting the good fight in the City of Brotherly Love.
The ensuing honeymoon, Ramsey’s second in Philly, has already wrapped up.
Leaders from across the city told the Daily News that they want to see the commish start to address a host of issues, including:
* Street presence. Paul Levy, the director of the Center City District, said that his organization is looking for “increased levels of deployment and foot patrols” downtown and across the city.
“Structurally, deploying manpower in the best way remains the biggest challenge,” said Phil Goldsmith, the former city managing director.
CAN HE DO IT? To some degree. The department has about 200 fewer cops than it did when Ramsey arrived in 2008. A class of 120 recruits will start training at the academy in July. Earlier this month, he sent 50 cops from nonpatrol beats to understaffed districts, and hasn’t ruled out reshuffling other specialized units.
* Better digs. The city’s police facilities are “deplorable,” said John McNesby, president of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5. “He’s got to concentrate on some of the buildings we have. . . . I wouldn’t put an animal in them.”
CAN HE DO IT? Ramsey says that the city is considering a number of ways to spend its limited capital funds, including purchasing the building that used to house Cardinal Dougherty High School, or setting up a new headquarters in West Philly.
* Meeting expectations. “When he came here, Philadelphia was one of the most violent cities in the country,” said Zack Stalberg, president of the watchdog Committee of Seventy. “It’s still about the same. I’d like to see him actually lower the crime rate.”
CAN HE DO IT? The city’s violent crime numbers have generally fallen since Ramsey took over. Considering that the city’s resources are limited and that the root causes of crime - poverty, lack of education, the widespread availability of guns to street punks, to name but a few - are well beyond his control, it’s fair to wonder how much lower the numbers will get on his watch.
* Community bonds. Longtime anti-violence activists Bilal Qayyum and Dorothy Johnson-Speight said that Ramsey could curb crime by partnering closely with neighborhood groups.
“He needs to work at solidifying and strengthening community relationships,” said City Councilwoman Maria Quinones-Sanchez."You’d be amazed at the stuff people will share if they really feel you have a long-term interest.”
CAN HE DO IT? Indeed. Ramsey says that he wants to continue strengthening the relationship between the city’s residents and the men and women in blue, especially in neighborhoods that struggle most with crime.
What about you? Readers can tell the People’s Paper what they think Ramsey’s top priority should be by chiming in at www.phillyconfidential.com. We’ll run your suggestions later this week.
Copyright 2011 Philadelphia Newspapers, LLC