Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Heard in the Hall

Councilman on Tasergate: Suburbanites making city look bad

Mayor Nutter is standing by the police officer who Tasered the teen-ager trespassing in center field at Monday night's Phillies game, but it was South Philadelphia City Councilman Jim Kenney on Tuesday who had the strongest words yet for the behavior that precipitated the incident.

172 comments

Councilman on Tasergate: Suburbanites making city look bad

POSTED: Tuesday, May 4, 2010, 1:03 PM

Jeff Shields

Mayoral spokesman Doug Oliver said Nutter "fully supports" Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey, who defended the police officer who used a Taser gun to stun and subdue 17-year-old Steve Consalvi of Boyertown, in Berks County. "He strongly discourages fans from running on the field during the game, or without permission," said Oliver. Nutter is at a meeting in Washington, D.C., and could not be reached immediately for comment.

Kenney defended not just the police but also city sports fans, and complained that suburbanites were giving the city a bad rap.

"It seems to me that people from the suburbs think, when they come into the city, they can act like idiots," said Kenney, who is meeting with police and team officials next week about security policies at the stadiums. "A lot of them come in and disrespect Philadelphia, then complain how bad Philadelphia is."

Kenney noted that neither Monday's episode nor the infamous "Pukeymon" incident last month -- in which 21-year-old Matthew Clemmens of Cherry Hill allegedly purposefully vomited on an 11-year-old girl at a Phillies game -- involved a Philadelphian.

Kenney praised the Phillies for their efforts to control unruly fans, including ejecting three "drunken idiots" who sat behind him a Phillies-Dodgers playoff game in October and chanted "F-- You, Manny."

Kenney wants anyone escorted out of the sports facilities to face, arrest, prosecution, a fine and/or community service. He was a backer of the famous "Eagles Court" presided over by now-Supreme Court Justice Seamus McCaffery, and suggested that a police wagon* should be stationed outside each game, if necessary, to take unruly fans away.

"I do think it does damage further the reputation of this town and its sports fans.," Kenney said. Kenney said while the use of a stun-gun appears "shocking," it was also hazardous for police officers to have to chase and/or wrestle people tot he ground. "Anything can happen when you have to physically subdue someone. The bottom line: no one has an issue if the goofball doesn’t run on the field."

"You can’t just allow them just go home or go to the next bar and brag about how fun it was to get thrown out of the stadium," Kenney said.

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*NOTE: The author of this blog post may have slurred his own Irish ancestry in the original version by using the term "paddy wagon." While the origin of the term is disputed -- either referrding to the Irish "Paddies" thrown into the wagon, or the Irish policemen doing the throwing -- we get that it can be offensive. Kenney did not use this term.

Click here for Philly.com's politics page.

172 comments

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Comments (172)

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 2:37 PM, 05/04/2010

Gee...wasn't it just a couple of weeks ago that an unruly bunch of suburbanites loaded onto the regional rails and caused a flash mob on South St.? Idiots know no geographical boundaries, and the same may be said of politicians.

— FletcherT

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 2:37 PM, 05/04/2010

Maybe they can blame pigeons and flying penguins for Phily's bad rap next.

— verve

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 2:41 PM, 05/04/2010

I think Mr. Kenney might be on to something maybe it is the suburbanites are giving the city a bad name so to test this theory I think all of we suburbanites should stop going to Philadelphia for a month and let's see what happens. I'm sure the Phillies or the Flyers wouldn't mind having only 1/2 of their seats filled and I'm sure the other tourist attractions could survive without the influx of all of that nasty suburbanite money.

— DeerHunter123456

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 2:43 PM, 05/04/2010

The kid got what he deserves. Hope there's a steep fine too! I'm also glad it was shown on all the major news sites, to let all the other idiots know what will happen to them if they go for that "once in a lifetime experience." Besides, what if a knife toting/acid throwing/armed lunatic manages to get something by security and jumps on the field to intentionally harm a player/coach/umpire? Take no chances, tase 'em all!

— msmame

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 2:49 PM, 05/04/2010

We need cops who are in better shape. Did you see the gut on him? How about the 70-year old security guard running around? We need better physical requirements for security guards and cops. If it wasn't for the tazer that kid would still be running.

— PHL Insight

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 2:50 PM, 05/04/2010

DeerHunter123456- us center city residents have more disposable income then you- we'll be just fine. Feel free to stay out in Montgomery county. Meet you at the Cheesecake Factory?

— phila215

Comment removed.

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 2:57 PM, 05/04/2010

I am all for cracking down on idiots at sporting events but Kenney's remarks are plain stupid. In posts prior to mine there are at least 10 examples of things that make Philly look worse then roudy, drunk stupid fans (although they might make the top 12) and just as many are not from the burbs. As for using the taser, if you are out there evading security and making them chase you down then it should be used. Why should security risk any type of injury by having to physically tackle you?

— towman

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 2:58 PM, 05/04/2010

Can the please start to Taze the flash mobbers!

— elvis1s

Comment removed.

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 3:05 PM, 05/04/2010

Does anyone in city council have the guts to say that things such as the flash mobs are giving this city a bad image? They are far worse than Philly sports fans, albeit from the suburbs, acting like idiots.

— The_Unknown-Poster

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 3:12 PM, 05/04/2010

Suburbanites making the city look bad??! HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

— jonb83

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 3:17 PM, 05/04/2010

So Rosie, where was the alleged "racial" comment made by the mayor in this article? I did not see it, but of course your lame, excuse-filled rant allows for this pasty-face clown to be excused for his idiotic behavior. That tazer should have went straight through his heart. I am waiting for the day when the cops pull a group of white boys out of their car and beat them silly for buying drugs in a neighborhood where they don't belong. With your luck rosie, it will probably be your kid getting cracked upside the head on TV.

— lalaw9833

Comment removed.

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 3:18 PM, 05/04/2010

While I agree that this clown should have been tasered for his idiotic actions, Mr. Nutter and Mr. Kenney should be careful what they wish for...imagine what CBP would look like minus the suburbanites that flock there to watch the Phillies. I imagine it would look mighty empty. Mighty Empty = lost City revenue.

— Crazee Bizee