Philadelphia Inquirer
Friday, April 10, 1998

Timoney names team, all from city's ranks

He called his picks ``idea people.'' Emphasis is being placed on drug-fighting and technology.

By Howard Goodman, Clea Benson and Mark Fazlollah,
INQUIRER STAFF WRITERS
Also contributing to this story were Inquirer staff writers Cynthia Burton, Thomas J. Gibbons, Jr., Herb Lowe and Julie Stoiber.

Reshuffling the command structure to strengthen the roles of drug-fighting, technology and anti-corruption oversight, Commissioner John F. Timoney yesterday named the management team he will rely on to overhaul the Philadelphia Police Department.

Timoney's new second-in-command, Sylvester M. Johnson, promised ``a big initiative'' soon to curb drug activity, which he said accounted for up to half the city's homicides. The crackdown will focus on smashing supply networks rather than arresting street-corner sellers and could include setting up checkpoints and barricades in some neighborhoods to keep out dealers and their customers, he said.

``The citizens will see a big difference,'' Johnson said.

Timoney, the newcomer from New York who has promised to shake up the insular police force, filled every slot of his top tier with longtime Philadelphia police veterans.

He described the group as a ``very strong team that's committed to reducing crime in this town.''

``They're idea people,'' Timoney said, ``people who are willing to challenge the conventional wisdom, people who are looking to view things in a nontraditional fashion, people who are willing to do policing in a different manner.''

Timoney elevated Johnson to the department's second-highest position - deputy commissioner of operations. Johnson, a 33-year veteran who held the mid-level title of inspector only a few months ago, will oversee all operating bureaus of the department, including Patrol, Detectives, Special Operations and Narcotics.

Johnson said that in the past, police often concentrated on street corner drug sales, which produced impressive arrest totals but failed to uproot the drug trade.

``Starting next week, the focus of narcotics units is to bring down organizations, the dealers and the suppliers,'' Johnson said.

Johnson replaces Richard Zappile, former Commissioner Richard Neal's top aide. Zappile will fill a newly created position, deputy mayor for gun violence. Mayor Rendell, who joined Timoney in announcing the appointments at City Hall, identified gun violence - along with drugs - as ``the number one crime problem facing the city today.''

Signaling other priorities, Timoney promoted Charles Brennan, a chief inspector, to a new post, deputy commissioner for scientific and technological services. John Norris, head of the Internal Affairs Division, was named deputy commissioner for internal affairs - placing both the man and the office higher on the organizational chart.

To round out the team, Thomas J. Nestel remains as deputy commissioner for administration and training, and Robert Mitchell stays on as deputy commissioner, responsible for special operations. Deputy Commissioner George E. Craig announced his retirement.

Rendell called the new lineup ``an exciting one - one that augurs well for the people of this city.''

Timoney has simplified the chain of command, funneling more authority to Johnson. ``He will work very closely with me on a day-to-day basis,'' Timoney said.

Internal Affairs - which investigates allegations of police misconduct - will now report directly to Timoney. Previously, it was headed by an inspector, who reported to a chief inspector, who reported to a deputy commissioner.

Timoney said he had ``total independence'' in making his choices, without pressure from the mayor's office. Since taking the reins of the department March 9, he said, he looked inside and outside the ranks for potential aides.

In recent days, it was widely rumored among top commanders that Timoney would be appointing at least one of his former New York colleagues to deputy commissioner here.

But no.

``If I had thought it was necessary to bring in people from the outside, I would have,'' Timoney said. He said he was ``more than satisfied'' with the home-grown talent.

Richard Costello, president of the Fraternal Order of Police, said he was pleasantly surprised that Timoney stayed in-house. ``We had some very high-ranking people watching the exit of the New Jersey Turnpike, watching for busloads of New Yorkers,'' he quipped.

In other changes, Chief Inspector Vincent DeBlasis, who has been in charge of the detective bureau, will head a new Quality Assurance Division that will oversee crime data collection. Last year, the department came under attack over the reliability of the crime statistics that it reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program.

DeBlasis' unit will also monitor internal crime statistics that will be used to pinpoint crime hot spots - a linchpin of the Compstat system of spotting crime patterns, deploying officers and assessing performance. The system was pioneered by the New York Police Department when Timoney was a deputy commissioner, and was a central part of New York's success in driving down crime rates.

Compstat and other technological tools will be of ``supreme importance,'' Timoney said, ``for moving this department forward.''

In recent months, the Philadelphia police started a centralized crime analysis unit, using computers to get a quicker and deeper understanding of where and when crime occurs.

``In some respects we're in very good shape,'' Timoney said. ``We're looking to get in great shape.''

Timoney's picks drew good reviews.

``I can't think of a better set of choices,'' said James Kenney, a City Councilman with a strong interest in police issues. ``I admire Commissioner Timoney's judgment of character in such a short amount of time to pick such good people.''

State Rep. Dwight Evans (D., Phila.), a potential mayoral candidate, said Philadelphia ``is many, many years behind the curve in the technology area. I'm glad to see technology and training and development is being upgraded.''

Evans also cheered the appointment of Johnson: ``He is someone who came up through the ranks and who knows the ins and outs of the department.''

Until December, Johnson was an inspector in charge of several units, including the team that investigates police corruption. After being lobbied by civil rights and African American leaders, Rendell promoted Johnson to deputy commissioner. His new job added the Narcotics Division to his purview.

Timoney said he was ``tremendously impressed'' with Johnson, ``literally from day one.''

``He thinks just like I think - he thinks outside the box,'' Timoney said. ``I think you'll see, as things unfold in the next month, he'll put his imprimatur on things.''

C.B. Kimmons, head of Mantua Against Drugs, praised Johnson as ``one of the most genuine law-enforcement folks I have ever had the privilege of meeting.'' Regina Farrell, president of Concerned Citizens of Harrowgate, in the lower Northeast, said that when Johnson joined a drug vigil in North Philadelphia last month, ``he was in his street clothes. He was on his feet for 3 1/2 hours with us.''

The Rev. Kermit Newkirk Jr., pastor of the Harold O. Davis Memorial Baptist Church in the Logan section, said Johnson ``has made a clear statement that he was interested in dealing with the quality-of-life issues'' such as graffiti and abandoned cars. That's crucial to Mr. Newkirk, who leads a congregation of 1,200, ``and all 1,200 of them are angry'' about crime and a police force that has seemed slow to respond.

Under Philadelphia's Home Rule Charter, the police commissioner is permitted to choose only two deputies, with every other post in the 7,000-uniform department determined by civil service. Employing a dodge used in several administrations, two of Timoney's deputies officially will be deputy managing directors assigned to the Police Department; it hasn't yet been decided who will get that designation.

Nestel holds his deputy commissioner post through civil service.

Though reformers have called for loosening the civil-service restrictions, Timoney said he did not find the charter's provisions ``overly cumbersome'' when it came to picking a team.

In the reorganization, Mitchell reports to Johnson, who oversees a larger number of units, bureaus and divisions than Zappile did. All the other deputy commissioners will report directly to Timoney.

Chief Inspector John Maxwell replaces DeBlasis as chief of detectives. Chief Inspector Ray Rooney becomes chief of narcotics. Chief Inspector Dexter Green, who has has been on loan to the Philadelphia Housing Authority, becomes head of the Special Patrol Division, which oversees the parks, traffic and tactical units.

Inspector Michael Cooney was named special assistant to the commissioner for education and training, and Captain Linda MacLachlin will oversee the public affairs office. Both had been in night command.

Captain Marvin Burton remains as executive officer to the commissioner, and Chief Inspector Frank Pryor continues as Patrol Bureau chief.