Philadelphia Police Department

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Philadelphia Police Department
Image:PhiladelphiaPD 1990 now patch.jpg
Honor, Integrity, Service
Established 1850
Jurisdiction Municipal
Sworn 6,600 (11/2007)
Stations 23
Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey
Website Official Site

The Philadelphia Police Department (PPD) is the police agency responsible for law enforcement and investigations within the City of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is one of the oldest municipal police agencies in the United States, and the fourth largest in the country.

Contents

[edit] Departmental history

Prior to 1830 the City's police system consisted only of nightly watchmen's patrols directed by the constables of each ward. An ordinance of December 30 of that year first established a "police patrol" which served throughout the day as well as night. Many ordinances extended the scope of the system; in 1833 the City Commissioners' function of lighting the streets was transferred to it and in 1841 a full-scale Police Department was created under the direction of the Mayor.

The Marshal Bill (Act of May 3, 1850) established a Philadelphia Police District which embraced the City and the adjoining Districts of Spring Garden, Kensington, the Northern Liberties, Richmond, Penn, Southwark, and Moyamensing. A forerunner of the City-County consolidation of 1854, this new organization solved problems that had arisen through the demarcation of police powers at City and District boundaries. With the Consolidation a County-wide Department of Police was established and duties in regard to street lighting were transferred to the Department of Gas.

After 1857 the Department of Police was headed by a Chief appointed by the Mayor; in 1859 a Detective Division was formed within the Department and in the following year a River and Harbor Police were added to it. In 1864 the office of Fire Marshal was created within the Department, where it remained until 1937. In pursuance of the Bullitt Bill the Department was transferred in 1887 to the then-established Department of Public Safety as the Bureau of Police. With the adoption of the City Charter of 1951 and the abolishment of the Department of Public Safety the present Police Department was organized.[1]

[edit] Notable events in history

Philadelphia Police Traffic Officers with their Patrol Car
Philadelphia Police Traffic Officers with their Patrol Car

In 1881, the Philadelphia Police Department hired its first African-American police officer.

In 1887, the police department was put under control of the city's Department of Public Safety. Two years later, the PPD inaugurated its mounted patrol (which was recently disbanded in 2004).

In 1906, the motorcycle was introduced to the Philadelphia police.

In 1939, radio-installed patrol cars were put into use.

In 1979, the PPD reached its peak size at approximately 8,500 officers.

In 1981, PPD Officer Daniel Faulkner was shot while arresting a motorist. Journalist and former Black Panther Mumia Abu-Jamal (né Wesley Cook), shot and was charged with Officer Faulkner's murder (as he allegedly admitted to shooting Faulkner upon arrival in the hospital for treatment for wounds suffered when Officer Faulkner returned fire). The incident, subsequent trial and conviction of Jamal remains a topic of controversy around the world.

In 1985, the Philadelphia Police dropped a mixture of civilian and military explosives on a "home-made" wood bunker, built on the roof of the Osage Avenue house occupied by members of the MOVE organization. The bomb ignited several barrels of gasoline starting a fire which destroyed the entire block and killed eleven people.

In the early 1990s, a corruption scandal centered around officers in the department's 39th district in North Philadelphia led to the prosecutions of 6 officers, and attracted nationwide attention.

In May 2008, two days after a Philadelphia Police Sergeant was shot and killed in the line of duty, approximately 14 Philadelphia Police Officers were videotaped by a Fox29 helicopter allegedly beating three people suspected of involvement in a drive-by shooting.[2] Seven police officers were reassigned to desk duty pending an investigation.[3]

[edit] Present-day Philadelphia Police Department

"The Roundhouse", Philadelphia Police Department Headquarters
"The Roundhouse", Philadelphia Police Department Headquarters
A Philadelphia Police Department policecar
A Philadelphia Police Department policecar

The current Philadelphia Police Department employs more than 6,600 officers, and patrols an area of 369.4 km² (142.6 mi²) with a population of almost 1.5 million. The department is subdivided into twenty-three patrol districts, and like many other large municipal police forces, it incorporates many special units such as a K-9 squad, SWAT, community relations unit, and harbor patrol. The highest-ranking officer, the Commissioner, is Charles H. Ramsey, a former Chicago police officer and former Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia.

[edit] Special aspects of the Philadelphia Police Department

The Philadelphia Police Department has several unique features which distinguish it from other municipal police agencies. One of these features is the department's Hero Scholarship Thrill Show, which is a 45-year-old program designed to provide funds for the college education of the children of PPD and Philadelphia Fire Department officers slain or disabled in the line of duty. Funds are raised through ticket sales for the Thrill Show, which features police and fire department demonstrations, exhibits, and games.

Another unique aspect of the Philadelphia Police is its use of a Strategic Intervention Tactical Enforcement (S.I.T.E) special unit. The Philadelphia SITE Unit serves one role within the department:to serve as a specialized anti-crime task force in high-crime areas of the city. The PPD's SITE unit serves as an elite group who work directly for the current Police Commissioner within the department, and has only a many other counterparts in other cities that do the same, most notably Boston's Special Operations Unit. The S.I.T.E. unit was disbanded to much the dismay of many politicians in February 2008. The new police Commissioner stated he would bring it back in the end of the summer if there was no serious reduction in crime.

[edit] Ranks within the Department

(Highest to Lowest)

The ranks of Corporal and Detective have the same pay grade, but have two entirely different functions. Corporal are "Operations Supervisors" and are responsible for overseeing a Patrol District's Operations Room, or a Special Unit's Operations; i.e.: that reports are submitted accurately and in a timely manner, etc. Only in a few rare instances do Corporals work the street, with the noted exception of S.I.T.E. Unit and SWAT tactical units.

Detectives come under the Detective Bureau, and are assigned primarely to Divisional Detective Units, and specialized units like Homicide, Organized Crime / Intelligence, and Background Investigation. There are also Police Officers who serve in an investigative capacity, such as in the Juvenile Aid and Special Victims Units. They are paid in the same pay scale as a Police Officer assigned to Patrol.

Unlike some departments, the Philadelphia's Detective Bureau does not have the ranks of Detective Sergeant, Detective Lieutenant, etc.

[edit] Highest Ranking Officials

[edit] Police Marshalls

  • John J. Keyser, 1850 - 1853
  • John K. Murphy, 1853 - 1855

[edit] Chiefs of Police

  • Samuel G. Ruggles, 1855 - 1867
  • St. Clair A. Mulhalland, 1867 - 1872
  • Kennard Jones, 1872 - 1879
  • Samuel L. Given, 1879 - 1884
  • James Stewart, 1884 - 1887
  • James Lamon, 1887 - 1892

[edit] Superintendents of Police

  • Robert Linden, 1892 - 1899
  • Harry M. Quick, 1899 - 1904
  • John B. Taylor, 1904 - 1912
  • James Robinson, 1912 - 1920
  • William B. Mills, 1920 - 1931
  • Joseph E. Lestrange, 1931 - 1936
  • James H. Malone, 1936 - 1937
  • Edward Hubbs, 1937 - 1940
  • Howard P. Sutton, 1950 - 1952

[edit] Police Commissioners

[edit] Demographics

  • Male: 70%
  • Female: 30%
  • White: 55.6%
  • African-American/Black: 36.4%
  • Hispanic: 6.5%
  • Other: 1.5%

[4]

[edit] Wall of Honor

Philadelphia honors those men and women who have died while serving in the line of duty. The memorial plaque is located in the courtyard of Philadelphia City Hall. It resided on the southeast corner of where Broad and Market Street would meet if they continued through the building.

(NOTE: Prior to 1972, the Fairmount Park Police Department (FPPD) functioned as a separate unit within the City of Philadelphia. Members of the FPPD, who fell in the line of duty are included in the below list with the letters "FPPD" after their name)

Unless otherwise noted, the rank of those below is Police Officer.

Night Officer William Baker, December 26, 1851 Watchman Neil Mooney, May 25, 1856 Dennis Sullivan, June 14, 1870
Lewis Lare, Aug. 21, 1872 Daniel McGonigle, Oct. 9, 1872 Henry O'Donnell, July 4, 1876
George McGonigal, Feb. 18, 1877 George Jackson, May 23, 1887 William D. Johnston, Oct. 3, 1887
Elmer Findley, Dec. 29, 1891 John Chambers, Sep. 10, 1894 Charles O. Conaway, Nov. 10, 1900
Edward George, Dec. 27, 1902 John J. Donovan, Sep. 25, 1903 Matthew J. Curran, May 26, 1905
Thomas A. Sheldon, Jan. 6, 1906 Frank Slaymaker, June 6, 1906 Aug. F. Brusius, Feb. 23, 1907
Scott H. Shelley, Jan. 5, 1908 Thomas A. Gordon, Apr. 9, 1908 Edward Mooney, Dec. 19, 1908
Robert Simons, Feb. 17, 1909 James O'Brien, Feb. 4, 1910 William Weiss, May 8, 1910
George Barnett, Nov. 28, 1910 Morris Gelles, Dec. 22, 1910 Joseph Dolphin, Feb. 17, 1912
Thomas Dowling, June 26, 1912 David M. Simpson, Sep. 21, 1912 George Freeman, Sep. 24, 1912
John Mann, Aug. 4, 1913 Frank A. Sankey, Sep. 18, 1914 Detective James Maneely, Mar. 25, 1915
Detective Harry E. Tucker, Apr. 24, 1915 Vincent J. Moore, Aug. 11, 1916 John F. Smith, Oct. 28, 1916
Fredrick J. Weingard, July 23, 1917 Detective Frank J. McCartney, Aug. 30, 1917 George Eppley, Sep. 19, 1917
Detective George L. Williams, Jan. 9, 1918 Charles T. Dewees, Jan. 12, 1918 Thompson Black, Jan. 18, 1918
James Wilson, Jan. 21, 1918 Thomas J. McVay, July 28, 1918 John J. Knox, Jan. 27, 1919
George Dingwall, Jan. 27, 1919 Charles Danowitz, Mar. 9, 1919 Walter S. Gideon, Mar. 13, 1919
James J. Hess, Mar. 14, 1919 Joseph T. Swiercynski, Mar. 20, 1919 Abner Braun, May 27, 1919
Conrad E. Gibson, Oct. 4, 1919 Charles B. Jones, Oct. 5, 1919 John E. Price, Apr. 19, 1920
Walter H. Hodges, May 11, 1920 William J. Boyd Jr., May 12, 1920 Dominic E. Nesavage, Sep. 12, 1920
Detective Joseph P. McGinn, Oct. 3, 1920 John J. McAntee, Oct. 22, 1920 Edward W. Kunz, Oct. 28, 1920
Edward W. Holtry, Jan. 17, 1921 William J. Davis, Jan. 29, 1921 Edward S. Boynton, Oct. 4, 1921
Edward W. Kelly, Nov. 16, 1921 Guard Vincent A. Hanley, FPPD, Nov. 26, 1921 Harry J. Stauffer, Mar. 16, 1922
Thomas Brady, Apr. 24, 1922 James A. Lambert, July 16, 1922 John J. Toomey, Aug. 26, 1922
Bartholomew J. Coen, Oct. 6, 1922 Thomas F. Gallagher, Nov. 3, 1922 William Miles, Feb. 21, 1923
Thomas Wilkinson, Apr. 19, 1923 Harry R. Reinhart, Mar. 23, 1924 Detective Truman Swain, July 5, 1924
Thomas J. Nihill, Sep. 21, 1924 Robert Wise, Nov. 30, 1924 Harry C. Lomas, Mar. 26, 1925
John F. Creevy, June 9, 1925 Albert Steward, Oct. 24, 1925 Frank P. Cook, Dec. 16, 1925
Harry Manley Cooper, May 4, 1926 Joseph Edward Bell, Dec. 23, 1926 Charles F. Gay, Jan. 7, 1927
William Slook, Jan. 14, 1927 Robert A. McGarvey, Feb. 24, 1927 John J. Watson, Apr. 18, 1927
Edward C. Plenskofski, Aug. 8, 1927 Gottlob Klemmer, Sep. 11, 1927 Watchman Steven Heimer, Jan. 8, 1928
Charles A. Fry, Feb. 21, 1928 Detective Joseph Etriss, Mar. 25, 1928 Harry Feinberg, Mar. 30, 1928
Charles J. Sheer, Dec. 10, 1928 Inspector John W. Blackburn, Jan. 17, 1929 James M. Justice, Mar. 1, 1929
Michael Donnelly, Apr. 12, 1929 William T. Page, Apr. 21, 1929 Phillip A. Bruce, Nov. 9, 1929
Asst. Superintendent James J. Hearn, Nov. 27, 1930 John C. Keen, Feb. 27, 1931 Elmer E. Patterson, June 6, 1931
Captain Harry B. Price, June 20, 1931 Raymond Carey, July 13, 1931 Detective Edward J. Gahan, Aug. 15, 1931
Joseph V. Campbell Jr., Oct. 23, 1931 Thomas J. Fitzgerald, Nov. 7, 1931 Albert J. Stokes, Feb. 3, 1932
Sergeant Walter Steinbaker, Feb. 21, 1932 William J. Henderson, Mar. 3, 1932 David H. Wiley, Apr. 10, 1932
Nolan Eugene Tipton, June 25, 1932 Joseph C. Meiers, July 7, 1932 Isadore Reinheimer, Aug. 2, 1932
Detective Michael G. Croskey, Dec. 7, 1932 Fred J. Dolan, Jan. 26, 1933 Detective Louis Moore, June 16, 1933
Charles H. Stockberger, July 14, 1933 Harry Donahue, Feb. 19, 1934 Matthew Clowry, Mar. 31, 1934
Alphonso Bonavitacola, July 28, 1934 William C. Wilson, Sep. 3, 1934 Paul Hathaway, Oct. 4, 1934
Edwin W. Welsh, Nov. 10, 1934 William Bunker Hinchliffe, Apr. 24, 1935 William H. McCloskey, May 5, 1935
Thomas J. McErlane, July 4, 1935 James T. Morrow, Nov. 23, 1936 Guard Michael McKenna, FPPD, May 17, 1937
Guard Martin Clasby, FPPD, Dec. 31, 1937 Henry Berry, Mar. 30, 1938 Edward Bradley, Feb. 2, 1941
James J. Clarke, Feb. 11, 1941 Captain Hugh F. McCann, June 13, 1941 William J. Henderson, Dec. 25, 1941
Thomas J. Wixted, Mar. 15, 1942 Karl F. Kohler, Aug. 12, 1943 Eugene J. Chavis, May 20, 1944
Guard William A. Doyle, FPPD, Jan. 8, 1945 John F. Schaefer, Mar. 31, 1945 Charles W. Brown, Nov. 27, 1946
Henry Hicks, Dec. 24, 1946 Cecil Ingling, Jan. 30, 1947 James J. Quigley, Apr. 3, 1947
Guard Thomas A. Ryan, FPPD, Apr. 8, 1947 Sergeant Samuel Hewitt, Apr. 23, 1947 Wallace B. Chapman, June 13, 1948
Sergeant Michael J. Hunt, Aug. 4, 1948 Norman Stinger, Jan. 25, 1949 Vincent P. Foley, Mar. 20, 1949
George Mitchell, Dec. 31, 1949 James J. Donahue, May 14, 1950 Sanford S. Smith, July 15, 1950
Louis Toriello, Oct. 6, 1950 John Stanley Gordon, Feb. 28, 1951 James J. Auter, Oct. 15, 1953
Joseph J. DiDomenico, Oct. 30, 1953 Albert Savich, Dec. 13, 1953 John S. Colonna, Dec. 24, 1953
Aux. P.O. William James Henhoeffer, Dec. 25, 1955 Edward Flynn, Aug. 15, 1956 Daniel Meehan, Jan. 11, 1957
Stella Donahue, Jan. 11, 1957 Robert T. Roberts, Nov. 28, 1957 James F. Kane, June 5, 1959
Joseph A. Reiss, Aug. 8, 1959 Joseph Franceschino, Oct. 26, 1959 William Duross, Apr. 15, 1960
Joseph McLaughlin, Oct. 14, 1960 William Powell, Nov. 19, 1960 James F. Christie, Nov. 27, 1961
Lieutenant Daniel J. McCann, July 30, 1964 Guard Joseph Sankey, FPPD, Sep. 9, 1964 Raymond Lovett, Dec. 7, 1965
George Jacobs, July 15, 1966 Richard Rehmann, July 28, 1966 Robert D. White, Sep. 2, 1966
Ernest Schwoeble, Nov. 13, 1967 Ross Brackett, July 15, 1968 William Lackman, Oct. 17, 1968
David Ellerbee, Nov. 1, 1968 Charles R. Reynolds, Oct. 26, 1969 Frederick Cione, Jan. 30, 1970
Harry Lee Davis, Apr. 6, 1970 Sergeant Frank R. Von Colln, FPPD, Aug. 29, 1970 John M. McEntee Jr., Feb. 20, 1971
Joseph V. Kelly, Feb. 21, 1971 Detective Douglas J. Alexander, Feb. 9, 1972 Raymond Fredericksdorf, Feb. 19, 1972
Dominic Guglielmi, Mar. 31, 1972 Leo Paul Van Winkle, June 27, 1972 James F. Duffin, Jan. 14, 1973
Louis J. Vasger, Apr. 13, 1973 David F. Sampson, Dec. 12, 1973 Sergeant Michael S. Lingham, Apr. 14, 1974
Sergeant William J. Kelleher, May 15, 1974 James A. McKale Jr., Sep. 15, 1974 Allan H. Lewin, Apr. 10, 1975
Ronald Trumbette, May 23, 1975 Artimus Johnson, Oct. 20, 1975 Corporal William L. Daniels, Dec. 16, 1975
John S. Trettin, Feb. 29, 1976 James E. Griffin, Mar. 5, 1976 Lieutenant Walter Szwajkowski, June 27, 1976
Francis W. Magro, Mar. 30, 1977 James J. Ramp, Aug. 8, 1978 Artis Norris, July 11, 1979
Sergeant Wilfred Doyle, Dec. 21, 1979 William Washington, Jan. 16, 1980 Robert S. Smith, Apr. 23, 1980
Ernest W. Davis, July 16, 1980 Garrett T. (Gary) Farrell, Sep. 26, 1980 James N. Mason, May 10, 1981
Daniel J. Faulkner, Dec. 9, 1981 Richard Lendell, Jan. 14, 1983 Sandra Griffin, Feb. 13, 1983
Stephen E. Sawka, June 18, 1983 John Francis Duffy, Dec. 10, 1983 Sergeant John H. McGill, Dec. 17, 1983
William G. McCracken, Feb. 5, 1984 James A. Rementer, May 21, 1985 Thomas Joseph Trench, May 28, 1985
Charles Patrick O'Hanlon, Nov. 13, 1985 Sergeant Ralph M. Galdi, Mar. 31, 1986 Daniel T. Gleason, June 5, 1986
William D. McCarthy, Sep. 22, 1987 Albert A. Valentino, Oct. 23, 1989 Winfred S. Hunter, June 4, 1990
Joaquin Montijo, June 15, 1990 Freddie Dukes, Dec. 25, 1990 Daniel R. Boyle, Feb. 6, 1991
Charles Thomas Knox, Aug. 30, 1992 Robert Hayes, June 17, 1993 Stephen Dmytryk, Nov. 16, 1993
Joseph Friel, Dec. 4, 1994 Kevin Williams, July 31, 1995 Lauretha Vaird, Jan. 2, 1996
Robert Porter, Jan. 19, 1996 Pauline Harness, June 18, 1996 Detective John Cousin, Aug. 15, 1996
Leddie James Brown, Dec. 11, 1997 Jose M. Ortiz, Sep. 21, 2000 Thomas M. Bray, Nov. 13, 2001
Detective Anthony Johnson, Jan. 7, 2003 Paris Williams Sr., June 21, 2005 Gary Skerski, May 8, 2006
Walter T. Barclay Jr.,Aug. 19, 2007 Charles Cassidy, November 1, 2007 Sergeant Stephen Liczbinski, May 3, 2008

[edit] Popular culture


[edit] See also

Pennsylvania Portal
Philadelphia Portal

[edit] References

  1. ^ Agency Information, retrieved December 18, 2006
  2. ^ May 6, 2008 Fox29 video http://www.myfoxphilly.com/myfox/MyFox/pages/sidebar_video.jsp?contentId=6471203&version=1&locale=EN-US
  3. ^ "Officers In Beating May Face Charges" May 7, 2008 http://www.myfoxphilly.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail?contentId=6482339&version=11&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=1.1.1
  4. ^ 2004 Philadelphia Police Annual Report

[edit] External links

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