REPORT: Philadelphia Police Leader Orders No Response for Burglary, Theft Calls During Riots

La policía vigila a manifestantes en Filadelfia el 27 de octubre del 2020, luego de que l
AP Photo/Michael Pérez
Bob Price

Philadelphia Police Deputy Commissioner Melvin Singleton reportedly issued a stand-down order to officers. The order states that officers will respond to “priority calls only” and excludes burglary and theft complaints. The order came during the second night of rioting after the police shooting of an armed Black man.

Fox29 Philadelphia reporter Steve Keeley tweeted a report he obtained from “extremely frustrated” police officers and commanders about an order from the city’s deputy police commissioner amounting to a stand-down order. The order from Commissioner Singleton (CAR-2) says “Philadelphia police will respond to “priority” calls only. “This means no calls for disturbance, a missing person, stolen vehicle, burglary, or theft will be answered,” the order states.

The order came during the city’s second night of rioting and looting following the officer-involved shooting of Walter Wallace, Jr. An eyewitness video shows officers shot Wallace as he chased officers around a car and approached them while brandishing a knife.

Singleton works directly for Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw. During a video press conference on Tuesday. Outlaw classified those arrested for looting on Monday night as having received “burglary” charges.

Keeley tweeted the order “leaves no deterrent to looting.”

Mayor Jim Kenney appointed Commissioner Outlaw in February 2020 as the first Black woman to head the city’s police department. For more than two years prior to that, she was the first Black woman to serve as chief of the Portland, Oregon, Police Bureau.

Outlaw reported during Tuesday’s press conference that 76 of the 91 arrests made on Monday night and Tuesday morning were for burglary charges — including three people found carrying firearms.

The number of arrests from Tuesday night’s more intense rioting and looting is not yet known.

As the rioting began Tuesday night, Philadelphia police officials tweeted a warning.

Looters did not avoid the area.

CBSN Philly tweeted that police commanders said the night had “rapidly gone down” and called it a “total loss.”

Helicopter coverage of Tuesday night’s looting showed no police presence as rioters marched freely through numerous stores including a Walmart, where it appeared the entire inventory of big-screen televisions was stolen, Breitbart News reported.

Looters remained undeterred by any law enforcement presence as they ransacked and vandalized the store. They went as far as breaking water pipes in the ceiling causing flooding throughout the store.

Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior news contributor for the Breitbart Texas-Border team. He is an original member of the Breitbart Texas team. Price is a regular panelist on Fox 26 Houston’s What’s Your Point? Sunday-morning talk show. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX and Facebook.

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