When Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey began his crime-fighting career in Chicago in the 1970s, he said nobody would’ve given much thought to the department’s relationship with the LGBT community.
But working with the community soon became important to him. As police chief in Washington, D.C., he noticed LGBT people were not receiving the service they deserved. Ramsey established a highly praised LGBT liaison position in the force in 2000.
“We went from testy meetings to solid meetings,” Ramsey told PGN. “We’d improved our level of service.”
He took over as commissioner in Philadelphia in 2008 after Mayor Michael Nutter appointed him. When Ramsey started, he worked with officers on the force to make sure the department was welcoming to LGBT police who wanted to be open at work.
After more than 45 years in law enforcement, Ramsey, 65, will retire in January. He will exit at the same time as Deputy Commissioner Kevin Bethel, the LGBT liaison for the Philadelphia Police.
“He’s been a tremendous asset to me both professionally and personally,” said Ramsey. “I’d like to congratulate Kevin Bethel on an outstanding career. He’s made a difference.”
At meetings with LGBT advocates, Ramsey said, Bethel was easy to relate to. He made himself available and deepened the relationship between the police and the local LGBT community.
“I’m glad I didn’t have to perform this job without him,” Ramsey said.
The commissioner said he’s most proud of the fact that he hasn’t received any major complaints.
“That means the people I’ve put in important positions have been doing their jobs well,” he said.
Ramsey said he hopes his and Bethel’s successors continue to partner well with the LGBT community.
“I just hope the relationship continues so that members of the LGBT community feel that if they do need assistance, they’re going to get quality service and have their issues taken seriously with absolutely no hint of bias.
“Here in Philadelphia, we’ve gone a long way to promoting strong relationships,” Ramsey added. “That doesn’t mean there hasn’t been a bump or two along the way, but we keep deepening those relationships.”
Ramsey thanked the LGBT people who have worked with the police on various training exercises.
After retiring, Ramsey plans to do some work with Drexel University and the Police Executive Research Forum. He will also do consulting work.
“I have a lot of fire still,” he said.