Jimmie Moore, the former Philadelphia Municipal Court judge challenging U.S. Rep. Bob Brady for the 1st Congressional District in the April 24 Democratic primary election, just called on the U.S. Army National Guard to be deployed in the streets of the city to combat crime.
Brady, through a spokesman, declined to comment on Moore's call.
UPDATE, 5:40 pm: Mark McDonald, a spokesman for Mayor Nutter, calls Moore's call for the National Guard deployment "a misguided proposal by a political candidate in search of media attention."
Here's Moore's statement:
Enough is Enough: Call in the Guard
The murder rate in this city has reached epidemic proportions. Our local law enforcement agencies are stretched to the limit, and that is why I am calling for the support of the National Guard to support the brave men and women of the Philadelphia Police Department in their efforts to not only respond to but also prevent the record levels of violent crime spreading across the city and leading to a state of emergency. We are only one month into 2012 and there are already 32 murders on the books, that’s more than a murder a day.
The National Guard is frequently called on to aide cities in crisis, including post-Katrina New Orleans, Camden, and Chicago. The presence of this arm of the military can have a proactive effect on communities through the prevention of violent crime. Philadelphia has seen a rise in unprovoked acts of violence that requires the most drastic of measures, including the fatal beating of a recent Temple graduate in Old City, and the Vietnam veteran assaulted by teens in Olney. That is why the presence of the National Guard is urgently needed in the city; we must not be a silent party to this culture of crime.
A particularly senseless act of violence this past weekend involving a cab driver and passenger brought to light the paralysis of a community that sits and watches in terror as these brazen assaults were perpetrated before their eyes. Our residents are gripped with fear; this is not a time to put sunglasses over the black eye that is this violent scourge upon our city: it is time to move forward and go to the doctor. Yes, we should be ashamed that a small number of criminal s have taken over our neighborhoods, but we must not be so ashamed and proud that we turn our backs on the most vulnerable to save face in front of the nation, and if that means drawing national attention to the danger in our midst, then so be it. It is time to take the bold action of asking for the federal government to step in and help us take back the city.
I applaud the law enforcement officers and public officials who work tirelessly to make this city a safer place to live. The federal government should be providing all available resources to help these public servants protect the citizens of Philadelphia, and that includes the deployment of the National Guard to patrol and provide surveillance in our most at-risk neighborhoods and populations. Just like the community leaders in the movie “Jaws” didn’t want to close the beach down because it would be bad for tourism and a black eye on their town, there will be those that don’t want to stigma of having what they might call martial law in Killadelphia. Meanwhile, we cannot stand idly by while the jaws of violence are terrorizing, maiming, and killing our neighbors. In 2011 Philadelphia had the highest murder rate of large cities in this country. Building a coalition between local and national law enforcement bodies is the solution we need to defeat the violence that has swept across our city, and overcome the fear that has taken hold in our communities.
- Da brothas! Da sistas!— rubbermaid
- I want to know what happened to those 2 Mastery "students" who pummeled the white man on 4th and Walnut for no reason to the point he had his jaw wired shut and had to eat through a straw. What happened to them???— knicks84
- Good point. If they got off easy, it suggests we aren't serious in stopping these attacks. As Cleanup mentioned, if don't enforce our laws, we're just blowing smoke.
- Shame, shame shame on these parents that have no control of their kids. They are like animals having a litter then leaving them run free and fend for themselves. Shame on the judges who just slap the wrists of these things that i wont even call a animal, because a animal acts better. shame on the people who wont snitch and allowed this to fester into this. Now you want the government to pay to keep your kids under control. Very democrat solution.— vallymom
Comment removed.- All 3 of the above murders/assults should be tried as hate crimes but I'm waiting to hear the DA's reason why these charges have not yet be filed. Double standard once again.— BobbyD
- CleanupPhilly, I could not agree with you more.— MoneyMan1115
- Take a course, learn to aim properly, get a permit, protect yourself. Obama has taken care of the rest. He's gonna take your tax dollars and give them free health care anyway.— cdobsox
- Da brothas! Da sistas!— rubbermaid
- Comment removed.
Regarding the youngest of the criminal vermin: End the SEPTA passes.
These allow these kids to go all over the city at taxpayer expense, and they use the passes to enter the CC area, and cause mayhem. Tokens only! One week of school=10 tokens. Schools can distribute them. Don't go to school? No tokens. Also....a curfew for those under 18. School days, in by 10pm. Weekends: midnight. Violators are picked up by Nat'l Guard or police, go to a judge and within two hours of violation, corporal punishment for violators. One dozen lashes with a cane. Females too. No ID on you? All kids in school to be fingerprinted. No ID also means you are assumed to be under 18.
Cruel and unusual? No ACLU? Get out of the way......or deport them with the illegals. This is WAR.
— Yermak29- silly political grandstanding. Can you imagine the optics of a camo clad guardsmen grabbing one of these youths in front of cameras?— Tom813
- Call in the Guard to shoot them on sight. Its difficult for a law abiding citizen to get a permit to carry a weapon and even more difficult once they fire that weapon in self defense. The Guard is trained in firearms and should be better marksmen.— psyrus
- Why not? They have them posted throughout NYC, though they're there to deter foreign terrorists. Unfortunately, Killy needs them to deter residents from terrorizing the city.— atlasmc
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.
Catherine Lucey joined the Daily News in 2002 and has written about murderous drug gangs, political protesters and Harry Potter. After covering the 2007 mayoral election, she moved over to the City Hall bureau where she has been reporting on the Nutter administration.
Follow Catherine 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.
Follow Jan on Twitter
Share your tips
Catherine Luceyluceyc@phillynews.com
Chris Brennan
brennac@phillynews.com
Jan Ransom
Ransomj@phillynews.com
- Attytood
- Philly Gossip
- Philebrity
- Philadelphia Will Do
- Its Our City
- Heard in the Hall
- The Daily Examiner
- Phawker
- Suburban Guerilla
- Young Philly Politics
- OurPhiladelphia
- PoliticsPa
- The City Room
- Politico
- Drudge Report
- The Huffington Post
- Wonkette
- Eschaton
- Daily Kos
- Choose Judges on Merit
- Blogorrhea
- May
- April
- March
- February
- January
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- October 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
- May 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- February 2008
- January 2008
- Budget
- Campaign News
- Casinos
- City Council
- City Hall
- DC
- Haikus
- Nutter
- Rendell
- Statehouse
- News | Sports | Business | What's Happening | Restaurants & Food | Entertainment | Living | Marketplace | Jobs
The hole in the bucket is not the police. It's the courts. It's public bail that lets violent offenders out who never show to court or get out and murder their witness. It's lenient sentencing, early release based on nothing but prison space, dropped charges, plea deals that change felonies to misdemeanors and misdemeanors to get out of jail free cards.
Focusing on police avoids the true problem. The First Judicial District is supposed to be abolishing public bail, allowing private bail to operate. Come out in support of that, and you have my vote.