Ralph Cipriano: As Philly Murders Spike, Kenney, Krasner & Outlaw Keep Pandering

Ralph Cipriano at Bigtrial.net takes Philly’s mayor, DA and police commissioner to task. 

Philadelphia has serious problems; if only it had serious leaders. 

Despite the ongoing pandemic, the city's biggest public health crisis remains its out-of-control murder rate. The city racked up 499 murders last year; the highest total in 30 years. By comparison, New York City, with 4 1/2 times the population, had only 462 murders.  

And things here are only getting worse. In January, Philadelphia recorded 50 murders, an all-time record for that month. And so far over the first eight days in February, the city recorded a dozen more murders, a 55% increase over last year's record pace. 

Yesterday, in Philadelphia, there were 11 shootings and seven murders, including a couple of double homicides, as well as a 15 year-old boy executed by a trio of gunmen brandishing semiautomatics. And on such a deadly day, what were Philadelphia's top officials concerned about?  

Mayor Jim Kenney was busy signing an executive order that deep-sixed Columbus Day as a city holiday, in favor of "Indigenous Peoples Day." 

Police Commissioner Outlaw was encouraging all officers to share on social media "what you, or your district, is doing to observe Black History Month." 

And District Attorney Larry Krasner was tweeting about "confronting racism within the justice system." 

At a time when people are being shot and murdered at record rates, the city's top officials were busy pandering, to cover up the glaring reality that they don't have a clue about how to stop the bloodshed. 

… As all those bullets were flying, what were the city's top officials up to? 

Yesterday at City Hall, Mayor Kenney courageously signed Executive Order 2-21 that not only dumped Columbus Day in favor of Indigenous Peoples Day, but also recognized Juneteeth as an official city holiday to celebrate the emancipation of slaves in America. 

“While changes to city holidays may seem largely symbolic, we recognize that symbols carry power,” wrote Kenney, who has been noticeably silent about the gun violence and murders plaguing the city. 

Instead, Kenney, whom Philadelphia Weekly has called upon to resign, would rather deal with symbols. After all, it's been working for him for a while now, especially when he's attacking Italian-American symbols.  

He's already gotten rid of the bronze Frank Rizzo statue, and put the marble statue of Christopher Columbus in a plywood box. 

Columbus Day was a natural next target.

"We hope that for our employees and residents of color, this change is viewed as an acknowledgment of the centuries of institutional racism and marginalization that have been forced upon Black Americans, Indigenous people, and other communities of color," Kenney wrote. "At the same time, we are clear-eyed about the fact that there is still an urgent need for further substantive systemic change in all areas of local government.”  

Perhaps Kenney was trying to distract residents from the blatant incompetence of his administration, as most recently demonstrated with the botched rollout of a COVID vaccine, which the city entrusted to a start-up fronted by a 22-year-old Drexel student with no health care experience. 

Or perhaps Kenney was trying to hide the fact that neither he nor his personally recruited police commissioner has the courage to call out D.A. Krasner over his progressive policies that turn far too many armed and dangerous criminals loose on the streets, so they can continue to shoot and kill more victims. 

As for Commissioner Outlaw, she was busy telling fellow officers that the Philadelphia Police Department is "committed to highlighting and expanding our inclusive environment where we invite and encourage diverse perspectives, ideas and peoples." 

"This month, I encourage you to share what you, or your district, is doing to observe Black History Month," Outlaw wrote. "Please join us on social media and utilize your official PPD accounts so we can highlight how you are celebrating." 

… While people are dying every day out in the streets. You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:

As Murders Spike, Kenney, Krasner & Outlaw Keep Pandering | Big Trial | Philadelphia Trial Blog