Deputy police commissioner retiring, to join advocacy group

Deputy Commissioner Kevin A. Bethel, one of the highest-ranking members of the Philadelphia Police Department, will retire in January to join an advocacy group that focuses on youth violence prevention.

Bethel, a 29-year member of the force, runs patrol operations and is known as a strong proponent of community-oriented policing tactics. His name was among those floated as a possible replacement for Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey, who is retiring in January.

Ramsey said working with Bethel was a "joy," and called his work for the department "immeasurable."

Bethel will become the Diana A. Millner Fellow at the Stoneleigh Foundation, the Philadelphia-based group said in a statement, and will spend the next three years working on a diversion program for troubled youths in the Philadelphia School District.

The program currently targets students who have had no involvement with the juvenile justice system, the group said, but Bethel will aim to expand it to include first-time offenders arrested for thefts. The group said Bethel also would aim to spread the program to other school districts across the country.

In a statement, Bethel said his work "will help fulfill our responsibility to provide young people with strong pathways to the future."

First Deputy Commissioner Richard Ross - another likely candidate for commissioner, and one for whom Ramsey has expressed support - said in a statement that Bethel's departure was a loss for the department.

"I look forward to working with him as a partner in ongoing efforts to improve the quality of our services to young people in Philadelphia," he said.

awhelan@philly.com 215-854-2961 @aubreyjwhelan