Philly Seeks 10,000 Men to Guard Streets

Sep 13, 5:18 PM (ET)
By MARYCLAIRE DALE

Philadelphia Police Commissioner Sylvester Johnson is seen in Philadelphia, April 2, 2007. The city's embattled police chief, acknowledging that police alone cannot quell a run of deadly violence, called on [color="Red"]10,000 black men to patrol the streets to reduce crime. Johnson plans to introduce the "Call to Action: 10,000 Men, It's a New Day" program Oct. 21.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - The city's embattled police chief, acknowledging that police alone cannot quell a run of deadly violence, has called on 10,000 black men to patrol the streets to reduce crime.

Sylvester Johnson, who is black, says black men have a duty to protect more vulnerable residents. He wants each volunteer to pledge to work three hours a day for at least 90 days.

"It's time for African-American men to stand up," Johnson told the Philadelphia Daily News, which first reported the story Wednesday. "[color="Red"]We have an obligation to protect [color="Red"]our women, [color="Red"]our children and [color="Red"]our elderly. We're going to put men on the street. We're going to train them in conflict resolution."

The program's backers include Dennis Muhammad, a former Nation of Islam official who has been hired by police departments in Detroit, Syracuse, N.Y., and other cities to conduct community-sensitivity training.

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-Jim