DN editorial: Philly should be proud of police and their DNC work

LAST WEEK, we cringed when we heard a report that Philadelphia police were dousing protesters at the Democratic National Convention with water from fire hydrants.

Our immediate thought was that training high-pressure fire hoses on protesters was a bad idea, a throwback to the bad old days.

It turned out our initial impression was wrong. The police weren't trying to disperse the protesters who were marching down Broad Street. They were using the hydrants to create gentle showers of water to give marchers some relief from the scorching heat. They were also handing out free bottles of water.

This wasn't your father's police department in action. When the Republican National Convention came to town in 2000, police using riot gear dispersed protesters with help from horses ridden by members of the mounted patrol. They made more than 400 arrests.

At the urging of Mayor Kenney, Commissioner Richard Ross promised this year would be different when the Democratic National Convention came to town. It was different. Few arrests were made - a policy aided by the city's decision to downgrade a number minor offenses, such as disorderly conduct, from a misdemeanor to something like a traffic citation.

Most protesters responded in kind. There were far fewer rants about the police being "pigs" and "oppressors," and, when people did shout those words, the cops ignored the taunts.

Many protesters complimented the police, calling them "kind" and "gentle." Take a look at the Philadelphia Police Department's Facebook page for proof. One typical comment came from Heidi Lansford, a protesters from South Bend, Ind.

"Philadelphia police need to train the rest of the police in the nation," Lansford wrote. "You guys are the gold standard."

The department's Facebook page, which usually consists of videos of criminals caught on surveillance cameras, became home for chatty video updates on the convention by Sgt. Eric Gripp, the department's social media guru. It included two videos of a police officer in FDR Park - official home of the protesters - playing a mean blues riff on an acoustic guitar while protesters clapped to the music. It also included a mini-concert for the police given by a 15-year-old trumpeter, Brandon Combs, on Broad Street. He was applauded by the dozens of police there after playing his rendition of the Star Spangled Banner.

Instead of leaving a bad taste in our mouth, most Philadelphians can be happy with how the city acquitted itself during the convention. Once you rule out things beyond the control of city officials - those miserable temperatures, the fierce and sudden thunderstorms - all went well. Convention goers groused about the traffic at the Well Fargo Center, the site of the nighttime activities. They complained about the heat inside the arena, and the long lines of food. But what went on inside the center wasn't under the purview of the city. That operation was run by the Democratic National Committee.

For us locals, traffic was a problem - especially because of security restrictions on I-95 and the Schuylkill.

Residents who live near the stadium complex in South Philadelphia weren't happy with the disruptions to their lives. It was like living through four football games a day, as conventioneers and protesters went back and forth to the areas near the center.

Mayor Kenney and his crew were determined not to have a repeat of what happened during the Pope's visit, when most of Center City essentially was shut down. This time, the city proved it could absorb 50,000 new comers in our midst and still go on with everyday lives.

No drama. No trauma. We call that a success.