Thomas Nestel, the Philadelphia Transit Authority police chief, is aghast over the refusal of bystanders to help a transit cop — Sam Wellington — being beaten up by one of their fellow citizens that he’d been trying to arrest. “I was horrified. I was frightened for my cops.” Well, it’s hard not to sympathize with the guy. “I’ve tried everything — tasing, beating, tear-gassing — and people still don’t like me!” Sarcasm aside, the reader comments under the article reporting the story give Chief Nestel even more room for dismay: “These cops are thugs and they shouldn’t be surprised when the people aren’t on their side.” “All I see in that video is gang on gang violence.” Philly cops, going back at least to Frank Rizzo’s tenure as mayor, have been notorious for their brutality and corruption, even among big city cops. In the late 90s ten officers were caught planting evidence and shaking down drug dealers for payoffs. Of course they can’t rest on those laurels forever. Since then, thanks to the Drug War and ongoing militarization of police culture, other big city police forces around the U.S. have narrowed the corruption gap considerably.
Posted on: Tue, 29 Oct 2013 18:25:34 +0000
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