Summary of Meetings with

Philadelphia, PA Police Chief John Timoney:

Objectives, Outcomes, and Participation. July 2000 Report

Background:

In 1986, then Police Commission Kevin Tucker agreed to the Lesbian and Gay Task Force’s long-repeated request to meet. Tucker’s agreement followed a Philadelphia Inquirer article (Dick Pothier, now deceased) and the Daily News’ follow-through about an off-duty police officer’s brutal physical assault against a young man presumed to be gay (Vetter v. Duffy). In 1988 and 1992, discussions continued with Police Commissioners Willie Williams and Richard Neal. Around 1993, under the leadership of PILCOP and the Fellowship Commission, a coalition obtained legislation (enforced as an executive order) establishing a Police Advisory Commission with limited powers. In 1998, the Task Force convened key public interest organizations engaged in criminal justice issues to meet with Commissioner John Timoney to forward, in solidarity, common goals, shared concerns, and specific policy and practice recommendations. (The Summary of recommendations is available on request. The packet table of contents and participation is on the reverse side of this document.)

The Meetings: May 1998, April 1999, and December 1999

In May 1998 and in April 1999, the Commissioner and assistant John Gallagher, Esq., met with an expanding public interest roundtable. Recommendations culled from the various participant (and relevant non-participant) groups were submitted in advance of these meetings for discussion and agreement. In addition to specific recommendations, the roundtable proffered several concepts, e.g. (1) the reissuance of the Department’s bias crime policy inclusive of sexual orientation and gender identity; (2) the formation of a "blue-ribbon" team to review and analyze decade-long reform proposals and the Commissioner’s proposed plan (not publicly available); (3) the timely implementation of consent decree agreements with the NAACP and the Barrio Project. In December 1999, participants narrowed the discussion and asked the Commissioner if he would engage in a collaborative partnership with the roundtable to review, modify, or expand the department’s current training program and join the FOP in encouraging support for a fully subsidized college degree program for police personnel.

Outcomes:

The Commissioner did agree to biannual briefings that may or may not continue. The Commissioner did reissue the department’s bias crime policy (directive 75-578) inclusive of sexual orientation, and later gender identity (Herzins, et al). At the second briefing, neither Timoney nor then-Mayor Rendell was interested in a comparative review and assessment of various study recommendations, inclusive of the Commissioner’s undisclosed plan. While the Commissioner indicated his support for the timely implementation of the consent decree, the decree is not fully implemented (e.g. the critical computerization project which will serve, indirectly, as a police performance tracking mechanism). At the third and last briefing, the Commissioner agreed to the roundtable’s proposal to partner in a full training review. Timoney recanted his agreement within the month (though solicited, no coverage). It is also important to note that the Commissioner rejected unequivocally the plgtf’s long-standing recommendation to sponsor a minimum nine-day diversity training for all police, including commanders. FOI requests for training documents, submitted by PILCOP and the Police Civilian Review Board, have obtained no response. In addition, serious problems remain with the investigation [as well as distorted and non-coverage by the Inquirer] of gay-specific crimes (e.g. the October 1999 McCullough murder; the June 1999 suspicious deaths of Moses and Foggy; and the 18^th district’s 1999 malicious conduct re: Pettaway and Cox, twin gay brothers, one falsely charged with a police assault and one beaten. It is fair to note, on the other hand, that the Commissioner, after a series of critical articles (Mark Fazlollah and Craig McCoy, Inquirer) re: underreporting crime, particularly rape, did engage WOAR in a joint case review process; and did enter into a consent decree with Project Home: re police treatment of people who are homeless. Absent litigation and/or sustained, in-depth negative publicity, the Police Department seems unwilling to respond to public interest objectives. Most recently, mainstream media and other institutions have joined in the canonization of Timoney for controlling public displays of police brutality against protestors during the July Republican National Convention. Organized around human rights themes, four hundred and fifty of the protestors were arrested, with documented reports of cruel and inhumane treatment behind closed doors.

Project Organizer: Rita Addessa.
PLGTF. Room 1005. 1616 Walnut Street. Philadelphia, PA 19103.
215-772-2000. Fax 2004. Email and Web Site: plgtf@op.net. ww.op.net/plgtf

Compendium of Policy and Program Recommendations

to and about the Philadelphia, PA Police Department

[May 1998. Amended Spring and Fall 1999. July 2000 Summary Report]

I. Philadelphia Lesbian and Gay Task Force P. 2 Att.1

(1986 and continuing), and NOBLE Protocols Att.1.1

Hotline cases: excerpt Ap. 1

II. The Mayor Goode Appointed Citizens Advisory P. 2-3 Att. 2 and Group re: the September 12, 1991 Police Confrontation

III. Police Civilian Review Board: 1994 P. 3-4

IV. Project Home: 1998 (Consent Decree: 1999) P.. 4 Att.. 3 Hotline Cases Ap. 2

V. Police Accountability Coalition to Police Corruption P. 4-5

Task Force Draft. March 17, 1997.

VI. The NAACP/Police Barrio and City Agreement P. 5-7 Att.. 4

VII. Report of the Philadelphia Police Task Force P. 7-9

Summary of Recommendations (1987?)

VIII. Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape Model Police P. 9 Att. 5

Protocols together with Philadelphia Police Directive 1981

IX. Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence P. 9 Att. 6

Model Protocols for Police Response (1989)

Appendices (Attachments represent each organization’s referenced documents)

1. Plgtf Hotline Case Study excerpt (update will be provided when ready

2. Project Home Case Studies

3. Selected Correspondence: Summary letter to Chief Timoney re: April 12. 1999 public interest meeting and Assistant John Gallagher, Esq. June 29, 1999 letter to David Rudovsky, Esq. sent to Addessa

4. Philadelphia Police Department Recruit Training Outline

5. Miscellany: Columbia Journalism Review special issue re: criminal justice sources Reports referenced in the recommendations include:

Police Stress Report of June 1995; IAD Strategies and Action Plan of 1992

Vitteta Report; Mollen Commission Report; Tucker Commission Report (VII above)

Participation: Barristers (Judge John Braxton); GALLOP (Leigh Jerner, Esq.); Pennsylvania Court Reform (Julie Hoke, Esq.); Philadelphia Bar Association Civil Rights Committee (David Berrney, Esq.); PLGTF/Convenor (Larry Gross, Ph.D. and Rita Addessa); Philadelphia Public Defenders Association (Karl Baker, Esq., Brad Bridge, Esq.); Police Barrio Relations Project (Will Gonzalez, Esq.); Project Home (Sr. Mary Scullion and Will O’Brien); PILCOP (Karen Black, Esq. and Marinda Vandalen, Esq.); Mayoral Appointed Citizens Advisory Group re: the 1991 Anti-Bush Demonstrations (Larry Krasner, Esq. and Larry Gross, Ph.D. as above); Women Against Abuse (Pat Dubin, Esq.); and WOAR (Carolea Johnson).