Inquirer Editorial: Police thyself
The bad-apple cliché regularly deployed in police corruption cases falls well short of this week's federal indictments of six former members of Philadelphia's narcotics unit on charges ranging from stealing drugs and cash to brutalizing suspects - including not one but two who were dangled off balconies. When multiple officers face such serious accusations, and not for the first time in the force's history, it raises questions about the whole orchard.
The bad-apple cliché regularly deployed in police corruption cases falls well short of this week's federal indictments of six former members of Philadelphia's narcotics unit on charges ranging from stealing drugs and cash to brutalizing suspects - including not one but two who were dangled off balconies. When multiple officers face such serious accusations, and not for the first time in the force's history, it raises questions about the whole orchard.
An arbitrator's award announced Thursday gives Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey long-sought authority to rotate officers out of the narcotics and internal affairs units, which could help prevent entrenched corruption. Union boss John McNesby, who opposed the change, noted that most of the 200 officers in the drug unit do good work. For the sake of their reputations, he should encourage reform instead of obstructing it.
The Police Department has made substantial progress against the city's out-of-control crime in recent years. Now that Ramsey has the powers he wanted, he and Mayor Nutter must assure the public that they will also clean up the rot within.