New Deputy Police Commissioner Sworn In Today
by Alex Lloyd Gross
Pedro Rosario has almost 30 years experience with the Philadelphia Police Department. Today is the day that the city gets to take advantage of that knowledge by promoting him to Deputy police Commissioner. As such, he will be directly responsible for clearing up Kensington, one of the worst areas for crime and decay in the United States.
“We’re not perfect, we are going to make mis steps but we are going to do this”, he said, after his swearing in speech which was held at the 24th Police District. The area of Kensington and Allegheny Avenues has been plagued by open air drug sales, homelessness and crime for years. It is getting worse every day. He rose through the ranks , and is now a Deputy Commissioner. He was sworn in by Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel , who heaped praise on his new deputy.
When asked why the area in Kensington was allowed to fester, all Rosario could say was “It was not a priority”. It will take more than cops on the street to fix this mess. We have a District Attorney that will not prosecute people for minor drug crimes. Strict prosecution, along with social services is needed to clean that area.
Alex Lloyd Gross-File Photo-Delaware Valley News.com Kensington Avenue is a disaster, with drug addicts and open air drug sales.
The other part is jobs. No one is going to open a store on Kensington Avenue. That has to change. Merchants want to feel safe and they want to make sure they will not get robbed and their customers will be safe. Rosario should also partner with sanitation to make weekly street and sidewalk cleanups a habit.
During the brief ceremony, Rosario said that he will have a plan and make it pubic within 100 days. He is the first Latino to be promoted to the rank of Deputy Police Commissioner in 225 years. Mayor Cherelle Parker said she wanted the police department to look like the people it serves.