September 07, 2006
Hey Chief, We Need Ya.
William Bratton cleaned up New York City, and is now in the midst of spreading fraternal love in Los Angeles. He will most likely be asked to stay on as the LAPD's top cop, according to a Sunday New York Times article.
Bratton was the brains behind NYC's 1990s Disneyfication led by Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani.
Bratton, as he explained in his surprisingly kick-ass book Turnaround, was able to connect with his troops along with the cop-hating communities.
The famed lawman introduced big city police departments to Compstat; a meeting where commanders share crime stats with each other and other local agencies. Bratton also pushed dealing with quality-of-life issues, a philosophy often ignored by cash strapped police departments.
Bratton's work in New York is monumental and has become a model for other departments study and follow. Don’t forget John Timoney folks. Timoney was Bratton's underling during their NYPD days. PC is a fan of Timeoney. Our favorite thing in the world is to spend Thursday mornings at the police academy, listing to captains share their district's crime rate with the always alert audience. Timoney brought this exquisite joy to Philadelphia. Compstat to a crime reporter is like the Chole Paddington bag to this young underpaid fashionista. (Note: Only the cool kids will get that analogy.)
Philadelphia, sometimes you need outsiders running things to force the good old boys to think outside the box.
This New Yorker half of Philly Confidential is calling on Bratton mentor to leave sprawling LA for scrambling Philadelphia.
Sir, if you're listening, PC would like to tour you around Murdadelphia. We think just the sight of this town will convince you we need you.
Our homicide rate is up. Innocent people are dying left and right. The city is becoming the national face of urban chaos.
Sure Philly isn't as hip as La La land or NYC. But we are secretly cool. That is why this half of PC sticks around. Really cool people are not hip. Once something is hip, the dorks come out in full force. New York is uber trendy. Meanwhile, Philly is a low-key city packed with culture, cuisine, and crime.
Sadly, too much of the latter is leading to Philly's demise.
What would you call Detroit?
Cool?
Hip?
PC cant figure it out either.
So Mr. Bratton, as a career public servent, PC pleads with you to come to a metropolis that is drowning in its own blood.
Posted by simone at September 7, 2006 12:35 AMI want a chloe paddington bag too! Good post though as always.
Posted by: Christine at September 8, 2006 09:58 AMdaily news' youngsters are so cool.
Posted by: simone at September 9, 2006 01:42 PMGreets and condolences--some tips from a former westphiladelphian, now owner of Trophy Bikes u. city.
1) "name up" your bike. ie, use a silver sharpie to put yr first initial, last name on the tire sidewalls--2x on each side of the tire. Before a thief steals a bike, he thinks, "can I sell (or use) this. Names all over the tires may well move him along to a more anon. bike.
2) The bike must sleep indoors--or else "garage" it, ie keep a couple locks locked to the pole near yr house, then put them ALL on the bike.
3) Geez, to report minor crimes, always go to the cop shop. Bike theft and stolen plants are priority .000057. If you can't remember the serial number, make one up. Just get a police report -- that way if you (or yr local bike shop) snags the thief--the cops can do something. No reported theft--the guy walks. Also, the reports are needed to get the cops to care, ie Compstat-style.
4) Parents--if your kid came in the door with a fancy suede jacket, you'd say, where's that come from? Do the same when they show up with a snazzy bike!
5) Philly Cops--in England and elsewhere, the cops drop a simple (and cheap--less than $250) GPS transmitter down the seat tube of some decoy bikes, then lock them in high theft areas. The bikes get jacked, then go home to the thief's house--which when busted, usually has tons of hot two-wheelers. Because hot bikes get so little cash, bike thieves have to steal constantly--nab one and you've probably saved 20 people from walking!
6) consider a folder bike--they can't steal what's not there.
I have some other ideas too, we should talk sometime.
I bet more people leave Philly because their 3rd bike got stolen than because of car theft...
cheers
michael mcgettigan/trophy bikes