for BigTrial.net
Here's a rundown on the early highlights from this week's police blotter.
On Monday, a man who claimed to be the victim of an armed carjacking in Center City whipped out a registered gun and shot an alleged perp twice in the head.
Up in the Somerton section of the city, neighbors were still reeling from the murder of Pete Gerold, whom they described as a gentle soul. His body was hacked to pieces last week by a crazed felon who was yet another recent recipient of a get-out-of-jail-free card from our district attorney.
And as of yesterday, the city's body count over the first 47 days of the New Year was up to 71 murders. That's a whopping 48% increase over last year's murder rate of 499, the highest body count in 30 years. At this rate, we'll set an all-time record this year with 738 murders!
And meanwhile, over at police headquarters, what was Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw up to? Why in her latest crimefighting effort, the P.C. was ready to embark on a meet and greet tour of the city's beauty salons, barber shops, and nail salons.
Seriously. It's a goodwill effort that has some of her troops laughing and snickering in disbelief.
The P.C.'s goodwill tour was announced on Tuesday, when Police Officer Waleska Garcia of the Community Relations Unit sent an email to community relations officers in all 21 police districts on behalf of her boss, Captain Maria Ortiz-Rodriguez.
"In the future, the Police Commissioner is looking to visit Beauty Salons, Barber Shops, and Nail Salons in your district," Garcia wrote. "Please survey your districts and create a list of the Salons and Shops in your area. Can you please provide a list by Feb. 24, 2021."
"Thank you and be safe."
The proposed goodwill tour seemed to baffle FOP President John McNesby.
"This is the first I have seen or heard this," he wrote in an email. "Not sure if this is real or not. If real, I can't see why."
"She is going to be laughed out of most of these places," one cop predicted. "What a fucking joke! How naive can one person be?"
"Just another smoke and mirrors attempt to not look at the pink elephant in the room," said another cop, referring to the city's soaring murder rate. "You can only pull the wool over peoples' eyes for so long before the mayor makes you the next Dennis Wilson," he said, referring to the former deputy police commissioner who was scapegoated by Kenney and Outlaw.
Memo to FOP President McNesby: it's for real. It took me three tries over two days, but I finally got an official police spokesperson to confirm that the barber shop tour was on.
"Commissioner Outlaw is hoping that engaging with community members in this way will encourage people to feel comfortable voicing their concerns. It's also a great opportunity for the community to get to know Commissioner Outlaw on a more personal level," Corporal Reilly said.
"In the past, we have had other Police Commissioners engage with the public in this way and the results are always positive."
In 2018, eight police officers from the Greater Philadelphia Chapter of the National Black Police Association launched "Blades, Fades & Engage," a tour of city barber shops done in conjunction with the Southwest Police Division's Community Relations Office.
In 2018, eight police officers from the Greater Philadelphia Chapter of the National Black Police Association launched "Blades, Fades & Engage," a tour of city barber shops done in conjunction with the Southwest Police Division's Community Relations Office.
After all, Stewart told the newspaper, the barbershop "has historically been a place where men can go to get a haircut, but also have honest, judgement-free dialogue about religion, politics, home life, the justice system and more.”
Stewart's emphasis was on men. Three years later, it was a natural for Outlaw to expand the barber shop tour to be more inclusive, by adding beauty salons and nail salons.
Who can forget Commissioner Outlaw's first policy directive, issued the morning after her first official day on the job?
The new policy directive stated that a previous directive that "only clear nail polish is acceptable while in uniform" was "hereby deleted."
That new policy directive cleared the way for Outlaw's signature black nail polish.
At least she's consistent, right?
So if anybody bumps into Mayor Kenney, who's been hiding under his desk during the current murder rampage, feel free to thank him for making such a brilliant hire.
This is just what we need to fight crime in Philadelphia, a PR tour that will pacify the city one barber shop and nail salon at a time.