Fumo Guilty, Nutter Comments

A federal court jury today found former Pennsylvania State Senator Vincent Fumo of Philadelphia guilty on all counts.
Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter has just commented on the Fumo verdit calling it "stunning."
From the Philadelphia Inquirer:
Mayor Nutter commented on the verdict as he left his City Hall office to attend a ceremony for slain police officer John Pawlowski, who was shot to death 30 days ago.
"It's certainly kind of a stunning conclusion to what has been a pretty stunning trial. ... You know, the jury has spoken. We are a nation, state and city of laws. All of us are accountable to the law, especially those of us in public service who have, of course, a higher standard we all have to adhere to. ... It's just kind of a bit of a surprise, I guess. ... I certainly wish Sen. Fumo and his family the best in these very trying and difficult times. He in the true sense of public service certainly did many things beneficial to Philadelphia and our region and the Commonwealth. But I think that today's jury verdict is further evidence that no matter how much good you do in public life, no matter even what your good intentions may be, none of us, none of us, are above the law, and we'll all be held accountable for things that we do."
Nutter did not think Fumo's criminal actions would hurt Philadelphia's image.
"It's certainly not helpful, but I think the citizens of this city are smart enough to understand that what an individual may do is certainly not indicative of what generally goes on in the city of Philadelphia." The mayor also pointed out that Sen. Fumo was a state official, not a city official.
So what is Fumo's legacy now?
"It is not for me to write histories or legacies. ... This situation is certainly not good for those of us in public office and how the public thinks about people who are in high elected office. ... I would say, the system worked. It did what it was supposed to do. It held an official accountable."

Again: Philly Officer Shot!

From KYW Newsradio:
A Philadelphia police detective is expected to make a full recovery, after being shot in the leg while serving an arrest warrant, Thursday.
Detective Albert Ford and his partner went to the one-thousand block of West Indiana Avenue in North Philadelphia to arrest 25-year-old Kevin Robinson. Robinson, a fugitive with eight prior arrests, was wanted in connection with an October shooting.
When the detectives identified themselves, Robinson fought with them, pulled a gun and fired at Ford. Deputy Commissioner Richard Ross says police returned fire, killing Robinson.
He says the entire department is relieved:
"It's just amazing when you look at, first of all, the proximity that they were to this guy, they were right up on top of him, so first and foremost they were lucky that they even saw the weapon. It could have went very differently and we could be standing here talking about another police funeral that we're planning."
Ford is 42 a 20 year veteran assigned to the major crimes unit.
Authorities say the 42-year-old detective from the Major Crimes unit, a 20-year veteran of the force, was shot around noon on Indiana Avenue near 10th Street while trying to serve a warrant. He was rushed to Temple Hospital, where he was listed in stable condition. John McNesby, president of the Philadelphia local of the Fraternal Order of Police, said after visiting the wounded officer at bedside that he was alert and talking.
A short time later, the wounded officer was visited in the hospital by mayor Michael Nutter and police commissioner Charles Ramsey. Nutter (right) expressed consternation that so many officers have been shot recently in Philadelphia, but was glad that this incident turned out better than some others.
"Nutter expressed consternation."
He was "glad that this incident turned out better than some others."
There are a lot of things that I could say but I'll just leave it at that - for now.

The Mayhem Must Stop!

Philadelphia has suffered another senseless murder: the seventh police officer killed in the line of duty since 2006.

Seven officers killed in less than three years. Seven!

Six of these seven killings occurred in the past 15 months.

The killer had nine prior arrests. He was due in court on Wednesday on charges including receiving stolen property and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle stemming from an arrest in September. In the mid-1990s, records show, the he was also arrested on theft and robbery charges and for illegally carrying a gun. He was given a 5- to 10-year sentence in 1997.

Officer John Pawlowski, 25 (pictured) was struck multiple times. He leaves his young wife who is pregnant with their first child.

Once again, Mayor Michael Nutter has expressed his anger, disgust and outrage over the killing. And the Mayor has railed against handguns.

But this is not enough.

The Mayor and the entire justice system must address the problem. This includes the courts and the judges who are charged with keeping criminals off the streets.

When it gets to the point where people do not fear the police and indeed, criminals freely kill officers of the law and brazenly rule the streets, this is too much. Criminals are now emboldened and there seems to be no end in sight.

Urgent memo to Nutter: It's not enough to be angry. Tell us what you're doing about the problem, Mr. Mayor. Where is your plan? What are you and Police Chief Ramsey actually doing? When and how will we see an end to this mayhem?