You (at least the Daily News) does have it in for Sylvester Johnson, David.

It's been that way at least since your boss slandered and defamed him over the "Bug in the Mayor's Office" cluster....then came up with the whole "Who Is The Baby's Daddy?" smear job that started only after he filed suit against your paper.

Why is it so hard to simply say "I was wrong and misjudged you"?

I have had my share of indirect & asymmetrical "test of wills" with the man......and walked away convinced that this is an honorable and decent man worthy of respect.

Sylvester Johnson is no more responsible for what is going on than me, you, Simone, Cranky Stu, the politicians, and the average man/woman on the street.

The difference though is at least he does more than bash the media. He tries.

What exactly do you do to help out with the way the world is, David?

Once again, Mike, we are in partial agreement -- crime will always be a problem, even after Sylvester, you, me, Stu and the Easter Bunny are dead and gone.

I've said time and again that Sylvester is a good and decent person. But his moral character is not the problem.

Look, this guy wanted to retire, and by his own admission, was dragged back into the circus. I think the department has a lot of younger, creative people who can bring new ideas to the table and better serve the men and women on the street. Are you of the mind that no one could possibly do a better job than Sly?

As far as Sylvester trying, I think that's a matter of opinion. His last two big initiatives include a retread (shuffle cops into the 12th, then shuffle them back out) and a head-scratcher (have commanders walk the streets. for four hours. once a week.). Stand back folks! A genius is at work.

Though you'd never believe this, Mike, Simone and I try to accomplish some good in the world. Her whole series on the crumbling juvenile probation system cast a bright light on a big contributing factor to our violence epidemic. Sylvester was not mentioned or slandered in that piece.

I've been working the last few weeks on a decade old case involving a Philly woman that will break a few hearts when it runs next week. I know it's broken mine.

I also make some damn fine french toast .... but that's probably a topic for another day.

Once again, David, I agree with your assessment of our disagreement on this issue.

Can someone do the job better than Sylvester Johnson? "Better" is a very relative term.
But yes.......there are many ways to handle a set of duties, some more effective than others.
Yet, so much of any perceived effectiveness is also situational and dependant on the given circumstances of the time. It would be like comparing apples to oranges.

As far as the "walking tours", where I come from that is called leadership. Yes......most of the defined duties of the Police Commissioner and his commanders are away from the street.

Still......."on the ground" visability and a street presence are potentially effective messages to the average law abiding man and woman on the street, the criminals, and also to the average street cop. Do not undervalue the potential worth of messages and symbols.

It is a clear sign that Sylvester Johnson has reached the point of "Kifaya". Do you remember that word, David? I posted in on your blog once before.

BTW David......I have all the respect in the world for you and Simone, remember......I read your columns (on line and in print) faithfully. I told you once before that you both are developing talents with a very high potential upside.

The one thing that has yet to come for you guys (at least in my humble opinion) is a developed sense of perspective and balance, and that only comes with age and experience. You are not to be slammed over that though, I myself was 39 before I found my own sense of perspective staring out a window.

The media has a definite role to play in helping bring about what is known as the "Good Society" or as known to the more secular....."Utopia" No other profession can fill that role nearly as well as the Public Watchdog and Advocate.

I just often think it is a shame that instead of trying to find a way to compliment (within the greater struggle)the roles that are filled by others, the media instead just becomes eager for conflict, "gotcha games", and hypocritical public posturing. That is just my rant.

I am more of a pancakes man myself.......though I would definitely accept an offer of French Toast from Simone but there is a guy who calls himself Mod Squad on Domelights that might be interested in sampling your breakfast cooking skills.

But that is just the last lingering dregs of my "inner perv" speaking...........that is one bad naf that even Sufi discipline and inner reflection struggles to tame.(lol).

Good points all, Mike. Here's hoping the rest of us catch up to Sly and reach Kifaya sooner rather than later.

Send Mod Squad my apologies; I only make french toast for my sons and my wife. (That said, I'm stunned at how good am at it. Previously, my cooking credits only included cereal, peanut butter sandwiches and chocolate milk. Emerald I ain't.)

If Simone's making you pancakes, I better get some flapjacks, too. I put up with way too many Italian jokes from her.

Domelights had a pretty lively thread on the topic of Sylvester today. Some of the posts were harsh and downright me-ish. Others insisted on sympathy for the commish, given the constraints of working under that mad devil, John Street.

To be fair, Sylvester's term started off in a positive light, and just as we have record highs in homicides now, we did for a short while have record lows.

I think he's just a classic case of a good guy who hung on too long. I think of a baseball player who puts in 20 years with a team, nears the end of his career and then gets blamed for their losing ways. The longer he's there, the louder the cries get.

For his own sake, I think leaving a year or two ago was probably the best option. The city was going to end up in this violent mess either way, but he's stuck footing the bill.

Even if you strip away all of the contributing factors -- lack of jobs, fractured justice systems, lack of cops and too many guns -- I think the most monumental obstacle we face is the fact that there's a whole generation of eager triggermen on the streets who have grown up with no value or respect for human life.

How any of us fix that problem ... well, it's beyond me or Sylvester or you. We need Superman, stat!

David,

I read your article in the Daily News today.

Not one sarcastic slam, not even about the "walking tours" of the top commanders.

Good job. Was that so hard? (lol)