City Controller Rebecca Rhynhart’s audit of the Philadelphia Police Department offers a disturbing window into the inner workings of the police force as it confronts record murders, daily shootings, and rising crime. The report’s 85 pages paint a damning picture of a department that is inefficient, disorganized, backward and wasting millions in taxpayers’ money.
While the department has many dedicated officers who risk their lives daily, it also has a long history of corruption, brutality and racism. Even against that ugly backdrop, this audit was jaw-dropping. Consider some of the lowlights:
— Philadelphia has the fourth-largest police force in the country, yet most of the officers are not on the street fighting crime. Of the roughly 6,000 officers, only 2,500 are assigned to patrol. Hundreds of officers do administrative jobs that could be handled by civilians, including delivering mail.
