Heard in the Hall

Yesterday was a busy day politically, and not just in Iowa. We'll start with City Council, where our own Jeff Shields has exclusively reported that three council members - Frank DiCicco, Anna Verna and Frank Rizzo - have enrolled in the controversial DROP program, joining Mayor Street, D.A. Abraham and fellow Councilmember Krajewski. It sounds that other council members are considering enrolling as well, and it looks like a full-blown rush is on by the city's elected officials to take advantage of the lucrative program before it's shut down by the Nutter administration.

Staying with City Council, the results of Inspector General Seth William's investigation into soon-to-be Councilman Curtis Jones Jr. are in, and they are ... kind of fuzzy. Get the details from the Inquirer here, and DN here.

On the mayoral front, while Michael Nutter was attending a prayer service held in his honor, the Fraternal Order of Police was sharply questioning his pick for Deputy Mayor of Public Safety. That would be Everett A. Gillison, a lifelong public defender and accomplished attorney whose client list includes the convicted killer of Police Officer Gary Skerski. Don't expect this issue to go away soon. As a member of Nutter's team, Gillison will bring an important perspective on the rights of defendants (he will no doubt keep a close eye on stop and frisk, for example) but his selection was bound to rile police officers.

Departing Police Commissioner Sylvester M. Johnson bid a caustic farewell to the public yesterday, using his last press conference largely to crtique press coverage of the police department and crime in the city. He went after the Inquirer and Daily News in particular. DN take is here.

Lastly, the Daily News has the second part of its two-day look at the successes and failures of Mayor Street's hallmark program: the Neighborhood Transformation Initiative. The Inquirer will take a look at Mayor Street's legacy this weekend.