Mayor Michael Nutter has ordered a review of Philadelphia Police Department policies on the use of deadly force by officers, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported yesterday.
The order for the review - to be led by Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey - comes after a recent spike in shootings by police.
On New Year's Day, a police officer fired 11 shots into a rowhouse while pursuing a suspect, hitting four bystanders in the process.
Since Jan. 1, two more civilians have been killed by police in Philadelphia. In 2007, 15 civilians in the city died as a result of police shootings, and 20 civilians were killed in police shootings in 2006.
"I think increasingly it's clear that our entire use-of-force policy needs to be reviewed," Nutter told the Inquirer. "I want to make sure that we're utilizing the best in training and other tactics."
Ramsey's review will be part of a larger crime-fighting plan he must prepare for Nutter by Jan. 30.
Nutter told the Inquirer he is not second-guessing officers' judgment.
"When the officer makes that assessment, they have a split-second decision to make," he said.
All three homicides that occurred in the Penn Police patrol zone, which extends from 30th to 43rd Streets and from Baltimore Avenue to Market Street, last year were officer-involved shootings.
Two incidents involved Penn Police officers, and one shooting was committed by Philadelphia Police.
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