Montco DA Candidates on "Comment Please"

The two candidates for Montgomery County District Attorney were on WNPV 1440’s Comment Please by Univest program last Tuesday, October 16.

Again, I was very impressed with host Darryl Berger’s ability to introduce topics and steer the conversation without being intrusive.

These are rough notes from the online recorded program. There were items mentioned that went too quickly or I did not understand and so did not note. Please excuse the omissions. Apologies in advance also for any errors or misinterpretations.

The crime statistics they mention are available from the Pennsylvania State Police Uniform Crime Reports.

The debate was also described in an article on Phillyburbs, "DA Candidates spar over their experience," by Jacob Fenton 10/17

Montco DA
Risa Ferman (caution: website automatically opens a sound file that doesn't seem to have a pause button)
Peter Amuso

Format: opening statement, questions, closing statement

Opening statement

RF: Thanks for having us. Running for DA, chief law enforcement officer, been in DA’s office for 15 yrs, past 6 yrs as second in command, dealing with everything that comes through the DA’s office, many endorsements and support of law enforcement community. The reason is I am the only person who has experience, knowledge, knowledge of PA laws, won’t need on the job training.

PA: Thanks, it’s good to be back. Friend owns a deli in Springfield Twp. Robbed, gun to his head, 4 blocks from my house. Woman in Pottstown, won’t let grown son go to corner store because of holdups. Under leadership of opponent, Montco become a less safe place, new ideas in combating crime, illegal handguns, prosecutors in our streets.

Questions

Q: crime statistics

PA: meaningful crime statistics are the ones maintained by Uniform Crime Reports compiled by state police. Meaningful statistic is crime rate. If crime rate goes up higher than population growth there is a problem. Opponent says crime rate gone down but not true, gone up. Violent crime rate gone up over 20% since 2002.

RF: It really shows Pete doesn’t know what he’s looking at. As population goes up so does crime rate, what is important to look at is per capita rate. I pulled statistics, from 1999 to 2005, per capita crime numbers down, nonviolent down 9%. Montco conviction rate an astounding 98%. We have a very coordinated approach, work with state and local police, with other county and Philadelphia DA’s office.

PA. The number of violent crimes reported by state police in has gone up 400. A 98% conviction rate is all well and good but we need a DA who will make the county safer.

RF: With all due respect his numbers are wrong. Reality is Montco is a great place to live. Lived in Montco over 3 decades, decided this is where my husband and I wanted to raise a family because this would be a safe place to raise the children we wanted to have. Peter is a newcomer to Montco but he and his wife had to make the same assessment. He could have moved anywhere but they moved here where it was safe and had good schools. Life is not appreciably different from 3 or 4 years ago when he moved in. We live near Philadelphia which has serious crime. We’ve only had 5 murders in Montco because we can prevent crime where we can and prosecute it when it happens.

Q: Crime in Montco among people who know each other?

PA: Armed robberies are up and not among people who know each other. Yes, we chose to live here and it was safe, but now robberies in my neighborhood. Armed robberies are not crimes of passion, but random

Q: bank robberies lately

RF: We have serious problems to deal with. We need seasoned professionals to solve those problems. Cases aren’t solved overnight but we work together and work to get them off the streets.

Q: resources, DA’s office has $12 million budget.

PA: To combat rising violent crime rate w have to take a more aggressive proactive approach. I would implement community based prosecution, championed by the national DA’s association, called the future of prosecution. Crime problems all over the county, not just Norristown. Reorders assets to create ties to local communities. Learn local community, local institutions, not just law enforcement but schools, etc. Work with community, there’s a problem with this office, this nuisance bar, this overgrown park. Been very successful in other areas.

RF: His ideas reflect a lack of understanding of what we do now. DA’s office now working with local communities to target areas that need our attention. Community based policing better in large areas where no one has a connection with local community. In Montco, 52 separate police agencies or organizations have tremendous local ties. I live in Abington, and Chief Kelly has a great knowledge of area. Having individual police depts. Focus on local problems can funnel information to DA’s office. DA’s office is centralized and can focus resources.

PA: All the more reason to have local prosecutors work with those police departments. People tell me there is a difficulty getting in touch with DA’s office or prosecutors bluster in when there’s a problem. What’s going on now hasn’t worked. People concerned about daylight robberies.

Q: Organization of DA’s office

RF: over past 15 years there have been a number of changes. Certain types of crime and laws that govern those crimes very specialized. Just like medicine specialized prosecution now specialized. I was a child abuse prosecutor, different kind of work than narcotics. At this point I have worked in all of it but subject prosecution allows people to specialize. We have a sex crimes unit, an economics crime unit which has had an explosion in recent years. Less gun crimes more computer crimes. Detectives and DA’s specialize in that. Focus on different kinds of crimes, now forming elder crime unit, an assistant DA and team of detectives working on that. Two things I envision. Looked to address problems as they come up, but need to be more proactive. Started Internet crimes unit. Now working on elder abuse unit, opening a children’s advocacy center. A constant effort to identify what sort of problems we face and go after them proactively.

PA: We need to do something different to address growing violent crime problem. Organize the office based largely on geographic needs. Analyze crime trends, look at office, and make geographic assignments, but keep some specialized units, like domestic abuse.

Q: experience

PA: If we have someone in the office for 15 years and doesn’t understand violent crime on the rise we need someone different. Proud of my experience, Harvard Law School, 4 years active duty in Judge Advocate General’s office, prosecutor in largest American military community in Germany, tried dozens of criminal cases, thefts, drugs crimes, violent crimes. I know what it takes to win cases. My experience prosecuting crime in the army applies to Pennsylvania courts, same rules of evidence, same theater of the courtroom, ready from day 1 to go after problems.

Q: RF hired by Mike Marino did not come from DA’s office

RF: Marino was an assistant district attorney then left and came back. The idea that Peter’s year of prosecuting cases in Germany is not the same. The PA Rules of Criminal Procedure is not the same. They are different. He’s never once had to apply those laws. What happens if at 2 a.m. he gets a call asking if he needs a search warrant, is Peter going to get on the computer and look it up. The law enforcement community knows I know the law. I have law school interns that have more experience with Montco courts than he has. Not disrespecting his military service. But how many cases has he tried in front of juries in Montco. Marino had experience. I have the experience and the skills and support of law enforcement community.

PA: and yet with all that experience she doesn’t under stand that violent crime is up.

Q: getting guns off the street

PA: publicly up front and aggressive about going after gun sales, form gun control task force, pay close attention to gun shops and gun sales. Be very public about it. In Chicago they did that and sales of illegal guns went down. One factor behind a lot of crime, access to hand guns. Current focus is on locking people up for a long time if they use illegal guns. Certainly do that but focus on stopping straw sales and make it a priority and let people know we are going after them.

RF: First thing he says as a plan is something we have already done. Our attorney general has a task force set up with Philly DA to go after straw purchases. Notion that AG’s office was looking to Philly and not Montco tells me that focus is in the city. Illegal guns is not only problem. In addition to running for DA this year I prosecuted 2 murders neither involved gun. Weapons are used to kill people not just guns. Need a DA that knows how to win all sorts of cases.

PA: Knows we have part-time people working on this but need to make a priority. Currently the DA’s office is content to wait until something happens but need to be proactive.

Q: examples of proactive

RF: So many. Start with this morning, went to community college to talk with administrators, computer game called “Missing” to teach middle school kids to be safe online. Trying to work with schools to give kids tools they need. Brought school administrators in to talk about safety procedures, brain storm session, identifying kids who are having problems, DA put out safety recommendations. Drug task force work aggressively and proactively with community to identify problems. Drugs and guns often go together. Deal with narcotics aggressively. Just a few examples.

PA: School safety issue. They established a school safety committee, no members of school community on that issue. One meeting with some people from the schools then 13 page report. Wasn’t enough inclusion. Include people from the schools on that committee and let there be back and forth. It has to be a collaborative process. Heard from many in school communities that they were not happy with it.

RF: Not what we did. Invited school communities in to gather feedback. Enormous number of people came. There may have been people who did not participate but we invited everyone. An ongoing process. Have been involved with protection of children for a decade and a half.

Q: situation in Whitemarsh

RF: Earlier incident told people what to do. Last week in Plymouth, it was textbook, people did what they were supposed to. Kid told parents, parents went to police. Once police got it they went to house to check as a proactive measure. In just a few hours complete the investigation and make appropriate arrests.

PA: Certainly in the area of school safety DA’s office needs to supply more information to schools. Provide threat assessment expertise, shown to be a key to stopping school violence, work with schools throughout the process not just one meeting.

Closing statements

PA: We need someone new in the DA’s office willing to recognize problems in Montco. People scared about rise in violent crime. Use experience from army and private practice to focus on gun and violent crime

RF: Role of DA in Montco too important to leave to a novice who has never handled cases in Montco who has never handled a homicide or violent child abuse case. People in Montco have come to expect and deserve a DA who understands problems in our community and has administered office before.