Nutter: Anyone who dumps Ramsey not smart enough to be mayor

Mayor Nutter left little room for doubt about his support for Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey, a day after state Sen. Anthony Hardy Williams said Ramsey should be out of a job for overseeing his department's stop-and-frisk policy.

Nutter, speaking at a memorial for fallen police officers and firefighters Wednesday afternoon, responded this way:

"Anyone who is not smart enough to ask him to stay is probably not smart enough to lead the city."

Nutter spokesman Mark McDonald confirmed the comment.

Ramsey also attended the memorial, standing by Nutter's side.

Williams, speaking at 6ABC Tuesday night during the final televised debate before the May 19 Democratic primary election for mayor, said this about Ramsey:

"For me, the police commissioner is a fine man. But people have to be replaced when they stand for a policy that people in the community simply don't trust."

Williams has previously voiced support for Ramsey staying on as police commissioner if he wanted to keep the job.

Williams, speaking during the debate about building trust between police and city residents, cited his support for a U.S. Department of Justice report with 91 recommendations about the use of lethal force, released in March for the Philadelphia Police Department.  Ramsey requested that study.

Ramsey also co-chaired President Obama's Task Force on 21st Century Policing, which issued a report in March. Obama, while receiving the report, called Ramsey an outstanding leader "respected both in law enforcement and in civil rights circles."

Williams, in a campaign news release Wednesday, said he has "pushed other mayoral candidates to adopt" the 21st Century Policing report.

That report called for law enforcement agencies to "collect, maintain and analyze demographic data for all detentions," including stop-and-frisk encounters.

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