And you thought thugs with guns were the Philadelphia Police's biggest health issue:

Conditions inside Philadelphia's police facilities are deplorable for officers and criminals alike, according to a report released yesterday by the City Controller's Office. Inspections of 24 police districts found all of them in various states of decay and poor maintenance.

Really? Wow. I am shocked and appalled. (Sarcasm off.)

"I find it unconscionable that thousands of Philadelphia police officers - who risk their lives every day to protect the citizens of this city - should be forced to work in conditions that are at least substandard, and dangerous in many instances," Controller Alan Butkovitz said.

Strangely enough, the Mayor and Police Commissioner's offices are in MUCH better shape.

His office found structural problems in two police buildings - one housing the Second and 15th Districts at Harbison Avenue and Levick Streets in Northeast Philadelphia, and the other the 92d District, on Lincoln Drive at Gypsy Lane in Fairmount Park. The building on Levick Street had cracking walls, floors and ceilings. The 92d District building had, among other problems, a floor sagging so badly that a conference room had to be locked to prevent anyone from entering, out of fear the floor would collapse.

Our illustrious mayor said he is working on the problem. Unfortunately, his solution is to hire a few more janitors and custodians, while some buildings are falling down around the officers. It's like putting a Band-Aid on a gunshot wound. Oh well, at least I'll have a huge lawsuit in a few years when I get asbestos poisoning.

(H/T - The Philadelphia Inquirer)

You wouldn't think that a current member of the Philadelphia Police Department would be ripping them on a blog, but after some of the decisions made by the administration, I had to speak out.

Recently, Police Commissioner Sylvester Johnson announced the creation of yet another special unit within the department: The Gang Control Unit. Sounds like a good idea, right? Wrong.

You see, the current number of patrol officers in the city varies depending upon who is speaking. The administration says there are more than enough officers to answer your basic 911 calls. The street cops disagree. The city is losing more officers than they can replace due to the DROP Program (an early retirement incentive enacted a few years ago), and since the city refuses to hire new officers, this unsettling trend will continue.

The Philadelphia Eagles are officially done.

Curiously, it has little to do with Donovan McNabb’s season-ending injury. It does, however, have everything to do with head coach Andy Reid and his utter incompetence on game day. This is a man without a plan, and it becomes more and more obvious every week. Andy Reid is the Washington Generals of the NFL.

Since I believe that even the poorest student can eventually learn a simple task, I offer Mr. Reid a few football wisdom nuggets:

Football is a Contact Sport. Thus, players can and will receive injuries on the field. A good coach (not you) is prepared for all contingencies, in case someone, like, say, your quarterback, goes down during the game.

The Clock is Ticking. Football is based on four fifteen-minute quarters. Every team has only a limited number of time outs. Taking a timeout in the first quarter for nonsense (as you usually do) means that you will have one less timeout later in the game. It’s simple mathematics!

Good Players Can Help You Win. For some reason, this truism is lost on most Philadelphia teams. A talented player will pay dividends on the field. A less talented player, like, say, your entire run defense, will let a doormat team like the Tennessee Titans embarrass you on your own field.

There you go, Andy; a few helpful hints from your old pal Wyatt. Learn them, live them, and love them.