The Police Liaison Committee, which serves to connect the LGBT community and the local police force, met last week to discuss ongoing crime and policing issues in the Gayborhood and beyond.
In last month’s meeting, the committee addressed the increasing prostitution problem in the 12th and 13th street corridors. Lt. Rick Lanzetta, the newly assigned head of the Patrol Service Area that covers the Gayborhood, said the discussion continued at the April 8 meeting, with committee members and police addressing ways to stem the problem.
“We were able to get the opinions of the people directly in that community,” Lanzetta said. “We got guidance on who’s where during what hours and where the complaints are coming from, and we talked about the possibility of doing outreach work with AIDS info and things like that, so the discussion was very, very helpful. It was, ‘You live here, and you work here, so tell me what it looks like and what’s going on.’ And we got a lot of information from that conversation.”
Franny Price, committee chair, also noted that Chief Inspector James Tiano, the police liaison to the LGBT community, emphasized that individuals who’ve been the victims of a crime but who may have bench warrants out for them — often for prostitution or other charges — should not fear for their welfare by reporting the offense.
“If you have a warrant, you have every right to be protected. When something happens, you shouldn’t be afraid to call the police,” Price said. “Police will not investigate the [victim], so people need to know that they can and should get help if they’ve been violated in any way.”
Tiano said that while it’s possible police could recognize someone who is wanted for serious crimes, police do not typically check for outstanding warrants for people who are reporting a crime.
“We’re looking to help victims, not to run them [in the system].” Tiano said. “Now it’s not necessarily open show, but it’s kind of the same thing we tell people in the immigration world: We don’t bother them for immigration and go looking for that, that’s something we don’t do, and it’s the same way with victims. We’re not looking to hurt somebody who’s already been a victim of a crime.”
At the meeting, the committee members also spent time discussing a recent incident in which a gay man was assaulted around Second Street and Girard Avenue, and his perpetrator allegedly used antigay epithets. The man called police, but Lanzetta said the crime was recorded as a report of an assault, rather than an assault in progress, which lowers its priority level on the police radar and which led to a longer wait time for police to arrive on the scene.
Police have to respond to the calls that come through the radio as they’re reported in terms of urgency, Lanzetta said, noting that both police dispatchers and those making complaints need to be clear in their communication so that police can properly respond. He also suggested that, in the event police cannot immediately respond to a situation, community members should be aware of where the closest police stations are — something Price said could have been beneficial in the Girard Avenue incident.
“Police weren’t able to come out instantly, and it turns out that he was only four blocks from the police station, and he just didn’t realize it,” she said. “A lot of people don’t know where the stations are, and it’s really important just in case you find yourself in a situation where you might need to get there.”
The Sixth District headquarters is located at 235 N. 11th St. and can be reached at (215) 686-3060. The Ninth District is at 401 N. 21st St. and can be reached at (215) 686-3090. The Third District is at 11th and Wharton streets and can be reached at (215) 686-3030. The 17th District is located at 20th and Federal streets and can be reached at (215) 686-3170.
Tiano’s office is at (215) 685-3655.
Jen Colletta can be reached at [email protected].