Jimmie Moore: Call out National Guard for Philly crime
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.
Jimmie Moore: Call out National Guard for Philly crime
Chris Brennan
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.
Jail space in Philly has been a problem for 30 years or better. Phila has managed to build two stadiums, an Arena, and Convention Center over the years. You have prioritized those things important to the citizens of the city who's opinions matter. It's a tough town with an deserving reputation. Relax and enjoy what you've built.
— Dexter- They can set up on the high ground with some 155 Howitzers and shell the problem areas.
How stupid is this character Moore?— oakster - Do we really need the NG to patrol our streets. Do what they do in Palermo Sicily. Allow the mafia to run their protection rackets in return for safe streets. It may be worth it. Or, we can actually get serious about putting more cops on the street; build bigger jails; and elect judges with the cojones to sentence these thugs to hard time.— BillyBob369
- The NG would crack some skulls, and rightly so. When the NG patrols the streets, the philly police can go after the parents of the juvenile criminals, and charge then as accessories or whatever the term is!— a4049412
Comment removed.- what did I mispell?— kevinhjr
- How many bankruptcies did jimmy Moore file? And how mortgage foreclosures were against him? And where in Wilmington, DE did he live when he ran for judge?— anti-tax
- I think its a great idea, but politics will prevent it. The local community leaders will complain that there is an undercurrent of racism/bias in the need for the national gaurd, and our leaders will cave in. Gotta love the democratic leadership of this city...— Oak31
- This has to stop. These little children that think they are bulletproof are going to discover otherwise as soon as they attack the wrong person at the wrong time.— RedJeeper93
- Comment removed.
- Why wont you post my comment are you afraid of the truth?— kevinhjr
- This warm weather makes me so happy— kevinhjr
- open back up alcatraz! plain and simple. Create new prisons out in the sea, and leave those scumbags there to rot, or better yet, send these delinquents to iraq and leave them there, no guns. Would love to see how they get back to the usa.— marks22
The Court System is broken, and Mayor Nutter has lost control of the city. The under staffed Police Deptartment can use all the help it can get. Stories appearing nationwide of people being pulled out of cabs and beaten, flash mobs roaming the city at will, and shootings outside of Police Stations have got to be doing damage to the already dwindling numbers of people willing to visit the city.-
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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
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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
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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
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