A troubling phenomenon is occurring that emphasizes just how badly a new approach is needed.

The number of allegations of police misconduct has soared since the beginning of the year, swamping the office of the city's civilian police review board.

Citizen complaints have more than tripled since the beginning of the year to a level never seen before, said the head of the Police Advisory Commission.

And that doesn't include the 20 people allegedly injured last weekend in a brawl with police in Kensington, as reported in today's paper.

"We've had times where we've been busy, but nothing like we've been seeing lately," said executive director William Johnson, who's been with the board for nine years.

The commission investigates alleged violations of department directives and procedure. It does not investigate corruption.

Two to three individuals a day walk into the commission's Center City office to complain that they've been illegally searched or ethnically intimidated or otherwise mishandled by the police.

That would make more than 60 to 90 complaints a month.

"A busy month for us before might have been 20 complaints," Johnson said.

The commission has been too busy responding to the daily workload to determine whether there's any pattern - whether the complaints are coming from a particular neighborhood or provoked by particular officers or fall into a particular category.

Johnson said he's not sure why they're skyrocketing, suspecting a combination of factors.

It could be as simple as more public awareness generated by the commission's outreach, he said.

But I doubt it.

I also doubt that police are running amok in the community.

I suspect that some people are encouraged by a new administration to speak up - and others are emboldened by a police department on the defensive after recent fatal police shootings and a high homicide rate.

It's important to note that only 10 percent of complaints are found to be legitimate, Williams said, a percentage that mirrors the national average.

But even if most of the complaints are spurious, the sheer number of them is a reflection of how desperately a new approach is needed.

The threat of getting shot - on both sides - no doubt has generated heightened tensions between police and the community, making it urgent that crime be contained for everyone's sake.

Commissioner Ramsey's new strategy is refreshingly simple.

It relies on fundamentals and sensible solutions: Put more officers on patrol, focus them where they're needed in high-crime areas, hold commanders accountable.

Well, duh.

The strategy is, most tellingly, "sustainable," as Ramsey put it, a repudiation of the Safe Streets, More Safe Streets, Return of Safe Streets - the high-cost, brush-fire solutions used by his predecessor.

Perhaps the new, bold leadership displayed by Ramsey and Michael Nutter also helps explain the spike in grievances against the police.

"Maybe people have a better feeling about how these matters will be handled," said the police commission's Williams.

After all, it was then-Councilman Nutter who sponsored the legislation creating the commission in a famous clash with then-Mayor Ed Rendell, who opposed it.

Williams was invited yesterday when Ramsey presented his crime plan to the police department.

"It's a very good sign," Williams said.

"I think it kind of goes part and parcel with the new attitude of cooperation coming out of the administration now.

"It's a good thing not just for us, but for the city of Philadelphia as well," he said.

E-mail porterj@phillynews.com or call 215-854-5850. For recent columns:

http://go.philly.com/porter.