When Mayor Nutter announced late last year that he was hiring D.C. Charles Ramsey as his police commissioner, I said I would keep an open mind but I was dismayed at his treatment of anti-war protesters and his frequent clashes there over civil rights. So far, I've been mostly impressed with Ramsey -- murders have dropped slightly while he's taken a tough line on police brutality.
That said, I find the detainment of four community activists in the Francisville neighborhood to be more than a little alarming. The only thing that's clear from what's come out so far is that the four oppose police surveillance cameras. What's not clear is what laws they allegedly violated -- they ultimately were not charged with anything:
Four young residents of a North Philadelphia house who circulated petitions questioning police-surveillance cameras were rousted from their home Friday and detained 12 hours without charges while police searched their house.
Daniel Moffat, 28, a co-owner of the house, said police had no warrant when they entered. The house was examined by officials from several government agencies and then shuttered by the city's Department of Licenses and Inspections.
"This leaves me homeless, without access to things I need. My whole life is disrupted," Moffat said yesterday.
The raid on the property on Ridge Avenue near Parrish Street was led by 9th District Police Capt. Dennis Wilson, who was quoted in an online story by the City Paper as saying of the residents: "They're a hate group. We're trying to drum up charges against them, but unfortunately we'll probably have to let them go."
My friend Dave Davies -- who worked hard to make sense of this complicated story -- reached Wilson, who didn't comment. Hopefully, if Commissioner Ramsey and Mayor Nutter are as serious about civil rights as they claim to be, they'll ask Internal Affairs to investigate what looks like, based on everything that's come out so far, an alarming abuse of power by the police -- the kind of thing you might expect to see, to use a popular phrase, in a Stalinist regime.
In fact, I happen to disagree with these activists; I think that police cameras -- when placed in public locations and aimed at public property -- are a legitimate way to help the undermanned cops patrol the city. But it's also a valid public issue, and those who feel the cameras are an invasion of privacy certainly have a right to express their opinion.
Or, in a free society, they're supposed to. This search and detainment is outrageous.
Ramsey needs to set the tone. When he was commissioner in Washington, that city paid out at least $14 million in scores of civil rights lawsuits, money that should have been spent fighting thugs on the street.
It's a matter of life and death that history doesn't repeat itself in Philadelphia.
Comment removed.- Comment removed.
Perhaps next time Obama should do his "special meeting" in the Francisville section instead of in tony Wayne.— shoeshineboy- The police went to this guy's house to talk to him after neighbors said he was the one responsible for vandalizing police cameras. When the cops asked him if he owned the property, he lied. Then, he took the keys to his place and threw them behind a gate where the cops had to fish them out. And it is a civil injustice that he got locked up?— Captain Awesome
Wow. I'd love to be a civil rights lawyer in Philly right now. The cops just made these kids rich.- Comment removed.
- ""Propaganda against the government," chimed in officer John Taggert" -- Do these people even listen to themselves?— Politburo
- Both sides have some problems here. If the people inside were approached to be questioned after the police received information, and they did not ackowledge ownership of the property or a basis to lawfully be on the premises, the cops may have a right to enter, but the continuing search is problematic, especially if the quotes from the officer are accurate. If the police had legitamate sources to obtain a warrant, why not get it first? It does not sound like the usual exigent circumstances-type of case. The idiotic grafitti inside does not give the police free reign to do what they want. Idiots have rights too.— etotheb
- The greeatness of our country has its roots in our freedom of speech --- even for those with whom we disagree. That's not the hard part. Its hard to stand up for freedom of speech when they are exercised by the types of creeps Capt. Awesome mentions.— yobill626
- How does somebody spray paint a police surveillance camera without being caught on video? I get the sense that these cameras are there for show more than anything. There are reports from NYC that cops who've been confined to desk duty for disciplinary reasons are manning surveillance cameras placed around housing projects, and are having a sporting time peering into windows and other areas where privacy is expected. It seems the only purpose behind the cameras is to give residents a false sense of security.
- Comment removed.
- "Its hard to stand up for freedom of speech when they are exercised by the types of creeps Capt. Awesome mentions.".............................................Of course it's hard. If it were easy, we wouldn't need it written in the Bill of Rights.
- Shouldn't we focus on something more important? We haven't had a "Bonnie" (Jocelyn Kirsch) update in over 24 hours! She might be patronizing the King of Prussia Mall at this very moment!— NickEeee
- The guy locked up said the graffiti was on the building next door, and that it was already there when they moved in. Maybe folks should reserve comments until they know the details?— Talking point sleuth
- Umm, in London I could understand people being upset and questioning surveillance cameras. It's a safe city- thanks to strict gun control laws. But in Philly?? It's Dodge Effing City there. WAKE UP. You can't both: no gun control *and* no surveillance. Come on. Philadelphia is a dangerous and declining city. You need cameras ASAP or you will sink even further.— baconbits
Will Bunch, a senior writer at the Philadelphia Daily News, blogs about his obsessions, including national and local politics and world affairs, the media, pop music, the Philadelphia Phillies, soccer and other sports, not necessarily in that order.
E-mail Will by clicking here.
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