The Philadelphia Inquirer
PHILADELPHIA — Police Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey didn’t say anything about including police training in his review of circumstances in the deaths of five police officers in the line of duty since he took over last year. He should have.
Ramsey is likely right in his initial conclusion that Officer John Pawlowski “did everything that he should have done” in a Feb. 13 confrontation with a robbery suspect who used a hidden gun to fatally shoot the policeman. But if the commissioner is serious about determining whether a “pattern” exists in the five police slayings, he will also want to make sure there is no possibility that some deficiency in training and procedures placed the officers in greater jeopardy.
Pawlowski, Officer Patrick McDonald, and Sgt. Stephen Liczbinski were all shot in separate incidents. The alleged assailant in each case had an extensive criminal record, which rightly points a spotlight on Pennsylvania’s courts and prisons.
Those segments of the state’s criminal-justice system must analyze themselves, just as the Police Department should, to make sure they aren’t overlooking areas where improvements must be made.
Repeat criminals who do not deserve a break shouldn’t receive one. Prisons, understanding that most inmates will eventually be released, must have adequate programs to actually rehabilitate their charges.
Meanwhile, Ramsey, who has talked a lot about the “cold-blooded killer” who is “just not salvageable,” needs to admit there is little he can do about such thugs other than make sure his officers are properly prepared to stand between criminals and the law-abiding public.
That’s a dangerous job that requires very specific training. It could be that Philadelphia’s officers are already getting the right education before hitting the streets, but after seeing five of his officers killed, Ramsey needs to make sure.
The commissioner has been reviewing the force’s policy on high-speed chases. The two other officers killed during his one-year tenure - Officer Isabel Nazario and Sgt. Timothy Simpson - died in wrecks resulting from hot pursuits in which they were not originally involved.
The city needs to consider a no-pursuit policy, or at least one that is highly restrictive. About 60 people were injured in Philadelphia police pursuits last year. That’s not to mention property damage and lawsuits. The crime has to warrant putting the lives of innocent people in danger to catch a suspected felon.
Of course, there’s no way to make police work completely safe. A noted police tactics expert, Chuck Remsberg, claims he can teach any officer how to read subtle clues that will provide an advantage in confronting a suspect who may have a hidden weapon. “Look for telltale bulges” is one of Remsberg’s tips. “Watch their shoulders” is another.
In reality, things can happen so fast that no amount of training can prevent what happened to Philadelphia’s slain police officers. But Ramsey must perform proper due diligence and take their training into account.
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