Rap Sheet

Officer Elizabeth Skala, a six-year vet who worked the beat in Center City before joining the Public Affairs Unit earlier this year is back on the job.

Skala went off the week before Labor Day, resting before the Sept. 5 debut of her daughter, Grace. She labored more than 12 hours, with no overtime, until the little one arrived at 7 pounds, 3 ounces.

It wasn’t that long ago when women weren’t allowed to walk the beat.

In the 1970s, a plan to hire the first female beat officers led to the creation of a protest group called, Police Wives and Interested Citizens for Action.

Among concerns were whether a woman could carry a 200-pound man from a burning building and, as one policeman’s wife observed at a meeting: “What’s going to happen after he’s spent all night with this woman who’s all doozied up and then he comes home and we won’t have any makeup on?”

More than 30 years later … women make up 25 percent of the force with the No. 2 position held by Deputy Commissioner Patricia Giorgio-Fox, the highest rank ever held by a woman.

It’s unclear how many of those women are pistol-packing mamas or how many can carry a 200-pound man from a burning building. It’s also unclear how many of the men can actually carry a 200-pound man from a burning building.

It's tough being single.

I could actually end the blog right here, but you didn't log on to read my personal tragedies.

As a single woman dating in Philadelphia, the story my colleague Natalie Pompilio wrote from yesterday's preliminary hearing about the rape charges Jeffrey Marsalis is facing was horrifying. All us single gals really want is a nice guy to take us out for an occasional meal and someone with a "Y" chromosome to talk with. (No offense, Barb) Apparently, that's even too much to ask for these days. To all my single women out there: Please read this story and proceed with caution. As in any criminal trial, the defendant is innocent until proven guilty, but just in case, take a lesson from the plaintiffs. Whether you meet a young man in person or on the Internet, always use common sense and always trust your gut instinct.

Philadelphia firefighter Ray Rios was in the hot seat when he appeared on national TV Thursday afternoon.

If you didn't catch it, Rios appeared as a contestant for "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" with Meredith Vieira. Since 1985, Rios has been fighting fires in Philly. When he came under fire by Vieira, he was cool as could be.

He flashed his bright smile, laughed at the jokes and graciously went through the questions. His 18-year-old daughter, also with a dazzling smile, watched dad from the audience. Any money he won, he said, was to pay for her college. She wants to be a pediatrician.

So how did dad do? Pretty good. He had $50,000 locked away when Vieira asked what conservative South American country did not legalize divorce until 1994? With no lifelines and no clue what the answer was, Rios decided to walk.

The answer: Chile.

I was only out for two days last week, but it seems much longer considering the mayhem that unfolded in the short time that I was nursing a cold rather than tracking the latest crime.

What happened?

Six people were killed in three days.

Three students were robbed near St. Joe's U ... two of them shot.

A gunman opened fire at Dilworth Plaza in Center City.

(read more here)

Monday, a woman confined to a wheelchair was found murdered in her home.

I returned to total madness. What gives?

Must have been a full moon. ... No. It was a half moon. The next full moon rises next week.

It's more like Jerry Seinfeld's World of Bizarro where seemingly safe places turned to chaos and the oridinary things in this bipolar city unfolded in extraordinary ways. It wasn't just a crime thing. Even the Eagles pulled a win on Sunday.

OK, we can live with that madness. The rest of the madness has to go. It's making me sick.

As of this moment, Homicide Lt. Walt Bell said that there was still no arrest in the apparent murder of Monica Smith - the 37-year-old wheelchair bound grandmother found shot to death inside her North Philadelphia home this week. As I watched Smith's distraught family mill about outside her home on N. 22nd Street, I couldn't help but feel sympathetic to their loss. I suspect it is a terrible feeling to lose someone you love and equally as hurtful to lose them to murder.

But what if they were handicapped?

The question many of us have is who could kill a disabled woman with one leg? But the more interesting question is, "Why?" We'll keep on top of this case to keep you posted on any latest developments.

In case you didn't know, the Commissioner has a radio show on WURD AM titled "TOP COP". The Commissioner discusses all things cops - from crime to jobs. If you can get through on the phone lines, this is your opportunity to speak directly with the Commish. He's on tomorrow and every Wednesday from 5 to 6 p.m.

It's a well-known fact that First Deputy Commissioner Patricia Giorgio Fox has been battling cancer for about a half-dozen years.

Although she's petite, she's one tough cookie - not having missed a day of work while undergoing her treatments early in her diagnoses. But I learned Friday night that "The Fox", as Barb and I call her, will be out for a while undergoing more aggressive treatments.

We wish you luck and a speedy recovery, Commissioner. Now all we've got to do is get you to stop smoking.