Councilwoman Wants Answers On Retired Cop Accused of Rape
Get inside the halls of Philadelphia power with PhillyClout: Inside City Hall, the blog by the Philadelphia Daily News' city hall reporters.
Councilwoman Wants Answers On Retired Cop Accused of Rape
Catherine Lucey
Councilwoman Marion Tasco sent the following letter to Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey, after today's Daily News story about a retired police officer quietly arrested on the charge that he sexually assualted a young girl for eight years.
Mr. Charles H. Ramsey
Commissioner
Philadelphia Police Department
One Franklin Square
Philadelphia, PA 19106
Dear Commissioner Ramsey:
I was shocked to read in this morning’s Philadelphia Daily News about the arrest on statutory sexual charges of retired Officer Tyrone Wiggins. As was reported in the newspaper, Officer Wiggins worked with children at the Olney Recreation Center, which is located in my Council District, which is where he allegedly met the young girl he assaulted.
I am concerned on a number of levels about police procedure in this case. Would you please provide answers to me on the following questions?
1. When the Internal Affairs Unit became aware of the context of the allegations against Officer Wiggins, and knowing that he met this girl at the recreation center, why didn’t the Police Department notify the recreation center and/or the Recreation Department so that officials could take preventive action and remove him from his position as a youth karate instructor?
2. Why did the investigation take two years to complete?
3. Why wasn’t there full disclosure by the Police Department at the time of the arrest on November 19 as is the Police Department’s practice when other officers are arrested and charged with criminal offenses?
4. Is there suspicion, evidence or are there allegations that this officer has been sexually involved with other children?
5. Why did Police Department officials allow Officer Wiggins to retire on November 18, allowing him to become eligible for his pension and other retirement benefits? Obviously, someone in the Department knew he would be arrested the following day.
More pointedly, I would like to have confidence in the Police Department that the practices that came to light in this case are not systemic, as to further place more of Philadelphia’s children in harm’s way.
We appeal to the citizens of Philadelphia to cooperate with the authorities to help fight crime in our city, but in doing so, we must give citizens the confidence of knowing that our authorities are beyond reproach.
In this case, I have more questions than answers. I am in no way accusing the fine men and women of the Philadelphia Police Department with a cover-up. However, the Internal Affairs Unit’s silence during its investigation and subsequent arrest of Officer Wiggins the very day after he retired from the police force begs for an explanation.
Sincerely,
Marian B. Tasco
Ninth District Councilwoman and Majority Leader
Comment removed.
Once again the police department is demonstrating that it does not have the capability or willingness to adequately deal with officers who have turned rotten.— john56- It's scary how close the psychological profiles of policemen are to those of criminals. I'd be hard-pressed to trust a cop over anyone, period.— karma star
- I fear the Philadelphia police. I know they can't all be bad, but I don't hear any of the good ones speaking out against Tepper or any of the criminal cops. They support one another no matter what. They have more power than they know what to do with.— phillypapers
- The X police officer was allowed to retire then arrested. But when another x police officer of a different color was arrested and brought to the spot light. It's all about a preception of color then the crime. Both should not be alowed to get their retirement benefits.— sean1004
- Phillypapers - your are right and wrong. yes some bad cops do things and get away with it. when other cops do things and get slamed by IAB. It's all because of who you know and don't know and if you are in their circle of trust.— sean1004
- Throughout this city, it is the same, not just Police officers, we have plenty of city and state workers, breaking laws, and getting protection also, because of WHO THEY KNOW! Which is why the city is falling apart at the seams, no one is held accountable, and the rest of us pay the price.— GalRand
- Wow. Ms. Tasco needs to hire a letter writer.— citizen k
Follow Chris on Twitter
David Gambacorta spent a small eternity writing about cops, drug dealers and serial killers. Now he’s writing about power and politics – which sometimes reminds him of the old crime beat. He joined the Daily News in 2005. And yes, he knows you’re not quite sure how to pronounce his last name. E-mail tips to gambacd@phillynews.com
Follow Dave on Twitter.
Jan Ransom, a native New Yorker, joined the Daily News in 2010 after graduating from Howard University. She has since written about the difficulty of filing police complaints, tax deadbeats and life after violent home invasions. She joined the Daily News City Hall Bureau in 2011 and has plunged headfirst into reporting on administration budget battles and City Council shenanigans. E-mail tips to ransomj@phillynews.com
Follow Jan on Twitter
Sean Collins Walsh is from Bucks County and went to Northwestern University. He joined the Daily News copy desk in 2012 and now covers the Nutter administration. Before that, he interned at papers including The New York Times, The Dallas Morning News and The Seattle Times. E-mail tips to walshSE@phillynews.com
Follow Sean on Twitter
