Report Shows Varied Satisfaction With Police

In a study released in February of 2009, by the Pew Charitable Foundation , Philadelphians were asked what were some of the major concerns they had about living in the city. Of the 1,600 respondents most of them felt that crime was the major issue that plagues the city. In the study a very interesting cultural divide was revealed among people residing in different sections of the city; in the study it was discovered that satisfaction with the police was highest among whites, the elderly, those in households with an income of 100,000 or more a year, and people living in the Northeast, and South Philadelphia. Having the least satisfaction were Hispanics, young people, those with incomes of less than 30,000 a year, and people living in North and West Philadelphia. When I read this study I tried to come up with a quick answer as to why this is the case, my initial gut instinct told me that its probably because people in those neighborhoods with more money generally find themselves being victimized, and using the police as a agent of fighting back against crime, or maybe it’s because people in the lower income neighborhoods only interactions with the police are when they are being accused of committing a crime, or someone they know is in that situation, either way I knew there had to be a piece I was missing. It just so happened that the morning the study was being discussed in a local newsroom’s AM meeting was the same day another deadly incident took place between police and an alleged shooter.

By virtue of being at the right place at the right time at my internship I was able to go the scene of a live officer assist situation. It was February 26, when Kevin Robinson shot 20 –year veteran Detective Albert Ford in the leg, who then shot and killed Robinson. After getting over the initial shock, about being there, and seeing Mr. Robinson’s lifeless body openly laying in the street while investigators tried to collect evidence, I noticed a group of 30 or more residents forming in the street to see what all the commotion was about. Mothers with panicked looks trying to figure out if that was their son’s remains in plain view. People already late for work inquiring as to how they could get their cars out of the now restricted area of Indiana Avenue in North Philadelphia.

Just then a short, rather agitated patrolman stepped into the street, and instructed the crowd to “Get Back!” As the crowd inched away he clearly felt they weren’t moving fast enough because this time he removed a night stick from his side and yelled “Get off my block!” Humiliated and confused the onlookers made their way back one full block. Now as an unspoken rule the media stands a few feet ahead of the public to get those insider views, to later be touted as exclusives images. Using the “When in Rome…” philosophy I did what my reporter, and camera person did.

For a split second the very well known crime reporter I was with turned his back to make a call, the same officer looked in my direction as if to imply that I had not followed his instructions and now was in for more than a stern warning. Just then I had my “A ha” moment. This is where in the problem lies from neighborhood to neighborhood. When police interact with people in these neighborhoods of lower socio-economic status than the residents of the Symphony House or Fair Hills, they don’t treat them like residents, or even with the respect another adult expects from another.

They are classified in the minds of some law enforcement as those problem people, who they only have to deal with in violent crime, or during some sort of raid. Instead of seeing them as concerned citizens who have just had their block turned into a war zone, that officer just saw it as one of those people who just shot at one of our guys.

In my case he failed to see the manner in which I was dressed and the visible press tag around my neck, he only saw my face, and like those of the onlookers it was black, and that was enough evidence for him. Luckily in my case the reporter turned around and with a flash of an eye the officer diverted his attention from me.

In Port Richmond as we observed in our fist blog, there are a lot of signs in windows supporting the FOP and other city governmental agencies, s I left the scene I looked around North Philadelphia, and didn’t see one of those signs on any block I passed.