Cost of Philly’s catch and release policy

[WhiteFeather]

http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/d.../35109799.html

FOP fury over bail for suspect

This is a topic we've visited before -- and will no doubt visit again in the future.

Just a day after Sgt. Timmy Simpson was laid to rest, FOP and police officials found out that a suspect who took aim at another police officer is already back on the streets:

Amado Lopez aimed a .40-caliber gun at Officer Sean McGinnis in West Kensington Saturday night and ended up taking a bullet to the arm for his brazen act, police said.

Today he walked out of jail.

Members of the police community — still reeling from the death of Sgt. Timmy Simpson on Nov. 17 — were outraged when they learned that Lopez, 20, needed to pony up only $800 to get back on the streets.

Union officials directed their ire at bail commissioner Abraham Polokoff, who set Lopez’s bail at $8,000.


It’s mind-boggling,” said FOP vice president John McGrody. “Here’s an individual who tried to use a firearm against a Philadelphia police officer, and someone in our judicial system gave him a get-out-of-jail-free card.”Chris Werner, the commander of the 25th District, where McGinnis works, sounded off as well.

“It’s disgraceful,” Werner said of Lopez’s perceived low bail.

“Is he [Polokoff] protecting the city of Philadelphia with decisions like this?”
Polokoff could not be reached for comment.


Police spokesman Lt. Frank Vanore said McGinnis responded to a radio call at about 8:40 p.m. Saturday for a man with a gun near 5th and Somerset streets.

When McGinnis arrived at the scene, he chased after Lopez, who fit the description of the man with the gun.

During the chase, Lopez turned and pointed the gun at McGinnis, Vanore said. McGinnis fired once, striking Lopez in the right arm. Lopez was treated at

Temple University Hospital and later released into police custody.

Lopez was arrested in June 2007 on charges that included attempted murder and aggravated assault, according to court records. Those charges were withdrawn in February. Records show Lopez, of Lawrence Street near Somerset, has been arrested in the past on drug charges as well.


“He’s not someone we want out on the streets,” Vanore said. “He poses a harm to police and civilians.”

The outcry over the bail Lopez received comes at a particularly difficult time for the Police Department.

Six officers have died in the line of duty since 2006. When Sgt. Patrick McDonald was shot to death in North Philadelphia on Sept. 23 by convicted felon Daniel Giddings, FOP leaders vowed to turn up the heat on members of the judicial system they deemed too lax on violent criminals.

A month ago, Gov. Rendell signed into law a bill that mandates a minimum 20-year sentence for anyone who shoots at a law enforcement officer.

“We do know that four times in the last year, police officers have lost their lives because of people who should not have been out on the street,” McGrody said.

“In light of that, on the same week we buried another police officer, we’re shocked to see a judicial authority making it so easy for someone like this to get out again.”

Lopez will have preliminary hearing Dec. 1 at the 25th District’s headquarters on Whitaker Avenue near Erie. He’ll face charges of aggravated assault, carry firearms in public, recklessly endangering another person and related offenses from Saturday’s incident.

I read articles like this and it makes me very angry, that repeat violent criminals are routinely given a slap on the wrist and only when they hurt enough people or murder someone Finally the criminal justice justice system does something. Usually its just another plea bargaining deal to go along with a long list of other misssed opportunities to send a message to criminals earlier in their crime spree, that their actions will not be tolerated any more.

They reward bad behavior with a plea bargaining deal, with the revolving door of justice so guess what? you get more repeat criminal bad behavior, putting everyone else at risk again.

The anti-gunners then use theses violent criminals’ hardware as the excuse to enact more gun control, and they NEVER will address the criminals in their solution, only gun control. We have been doing gun control for decades, it apparentily is not working, and another gun control law is going to do what better than all of the laws we other have now, how about trying criminal control instead.

How about holding fully accountable the repeat violent criminals that harm so many by their actions and cost to everyone to re-re-re-re-arrest and prosecute them over and over endless until the crime is big enough to finally warrant a real response to their actions, how about using the lock and key instead, of the “deal” making process to address violent criminals..

How about holding the D.A.'s, the judges and parole boards accountable for early releasing of repeat violent criminals or for not aggressively prosecuting the criminals max under existing law, instead of letting a defective product back into society?

Its morally wrong, its irresponsible, It’s a policy that harms innocent people and effects everyone lives, to what ends does coddling repeat violent criminals in this catch and release policy benefit any civilized society ?

[Seventy4Blazer]

we need a "frank castle" and a "boondock saints" in EVERY city over 15k....

[mikepro8]

Well.... why were the charges dropped for att. murder, etc. Was it that the police didnt get enough evidence? Did a witness not want to testify? Who knows, but here in America... it doesnt matter what you are charged with, you are still innocent until proven guilty.

Also, im sick of the shit about bashing the judiciary. Guess what? Bail is NOT meant to be punitive. Its not meant to punish in any way, shape or form. Its not meant "to keep people off the streets." Its meant as a promise to appear in court. THATS IT.

The article itself mentions that he TRIED to use the firearm, but appently, he didnt. I may be reading into it, but it sounds like some cop beat him to the shot. Good for him.

As for plea bargaining, again... not the judiciary's fault. WRONG BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT. Its the DA who makes the plea agreement... its just the judiciary's job to make sure the agreement is legal and that a sentence according to the plea agreement is also legal.

Sometimes, just sometimes, it really pisses me off that people are shocked when police officers get shot, hurt, killed in the line of duty. Guess what, unfortunately its part of the job - a job they chose. No one is surprised when steel workers fall, it happens - its a danger of the job. Sure, we do lots of things to prevent bad things happening to people, but as long as any activity involves human interaction or intervention, its doomed to fault and failure because it involves people.

And before you get on me for hating cops - I have been a parole officer for over 9 years. One of my officers was stabbed. I work with cops every day, and enjoy it. I still come to work every day and so do thousands of other criminal justice people.

[Eugene V. Debs]

Well.... why were the charges dropped for att. murder, etc. Was it that the police didnt get enough evidence? Did a witness not want to testify? Who knows, but here in America... it doesnt matter what you are charged with, you are still innocent until proven guilty.

Also, im sick of the shit about bashing the judiciary. Guess what? Bail is NOT meant to be punitive. Its not meant to punish in any way, shape or form. Its not meant "to keep people off the streets." Its meant as a promise to appear in court. THATS IT.

The article itself mentions that he TRIED to use the firearm, but appently, he didnt. I may be reading into it, but it sounds like some cop beat him to the shot. Good for him.

As for plea bargaining, again... not the judiciary's fault. WRONG BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT. Its the DA who makes the plea agreement... its just the judiciary's job to make sure the agreement is legal and that a sentence according to the plea agreement is also legal.

Sometimes, just sometimes, it really pisses me off that people are shocked when police officers get shot, hurt, killed in the line of duty. Guess what, unfortunately its part of the job - a job they chose. No one is surprised when steel workers fall, it happens - its a danger of the job. Sure, we do lots of things to prevent bad things happening to people, but as long as any activity involves human interaction or intervention, its doomed to fault and failure because it involves people.

And before you get on me for hating cops - I have been a parole officer for over 9 years. One of my officers was stabbed. I work with cops every day, and enjoy it. I still come to work every day and so do thousands of other criminal justice people.

Awesome post. I was going to make many of the same points.

The problem here is that on these stories the media gets most of their information and almost all their opinions from the FOP. If the FOP had their way the Bill of Rights wouldn't even exist, confessions beaten out of suspects would be admissible, obtaining search warrants would be a purely perfunctory matter, evidence obtained without a warrant could still be used to convict, etc., etc.-- they have consistently opposed granting any rights to the accused and, until very recently, were also gun-grabbers.

Reasonable people can differ on how they feel about the police, but for anyone who claims to love liberty the FOP is bad news, at least as far as their public policy positions are concerned.

And yeah...they love playing the blame game.

[sjohn26]

Ever see the movie "The Star Chamber"?