Chief Charles Ramsey didn’t waste much time after retiring from the DC Metro Police Department as chief to find another challenge. His tenure as Commissioner of police in Philadelphia has started as as outlined in this newspaper article, specuation has already started.
I had a chance to meet Chief Ramsey a few years ago at a conference in DC. He is a man of integrity and not afraid to rock the boat to make the changes necessary to meet the needs of his department members and the community. He has a reputation for taking on his bosses and elected officials when necessary. I respect him for that. It seems that those headlines tend to follow him more than the many successes he has accomplished in Chicago, DC and now I’m sure in Philadelphia.
In the article. Chief Ramsey speaks to issues of speculation he states, “Rumors always start,” he said. “When I took over the Washington, D.C., police department, the first thing they thought was I was going to bring checkerboard caps like they have in Chicago. . . . We’ll take a look at those kinds of things; those are minor tweaks. The biggest challenge I have to get my hands around first is crime-fighting strategies and how we’re going to approach crime.”
I agree with Chief Ramsey. The first thing a new chief must do is orient him/herself to the organization and community and then figure out how to approach the concerns of the community. I believe that reasonable people will look beyond the headlines and research the substance and integrity of the individual when making a final judgment.
I wish Chief Ramsey all the best in his endeavors in Philadelphia.