“In today’s policing environment, Johnson made a mistake. He hung around too long. You can’t do
that anymore.
“What went wrong?” asked Gibbons. “Loyalty.” Johnson, Gibbons said, is too loyal to Mayor Street, who insiders say keeps Johnson as a buffer between his two-term administration and negative publicity over crime.
Those closest to Johnson hold several more theories: “He creates a lot of controversy,” said C.B. Kimmins, an anti-drug activist and Johnson friend. “It is not for something he is doing. It is for something he is not doing. He is not demonstrative. He is not bravado. People say, ‘He can’t be that humble. He must be a phony. …’ I think he is a victim of his personality.”
Aaron Johnson said his father is neither a politician nor a fan of the camera. Just a “cop’s cop.”
Still Johnson’s legacy is tainted by a murder rate that has crept up during the last three years. His department, like others across the country, is stretched thin due to a bevy of federal budget cuts. His officers face an overwhelming number of dangerous repeat offenders.
DAILY NEWS: A Must-Read If You Truly Want To Understand The Dense Matrix Of Class, Race, And Politics That Has Created Our Current Murder Epidemic
RELATED: Thug Tries To Kill Cop, Shoots His Own Balls Off Instead [DN]
“KUDOS TO THE Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus for stepping up and standing firm on the need for common sense gun laws in the state. In an act of courage rarely seen in Harrisburg, some caucus members Wednesday threatened to stonewall the state budget unless Harrisburg reconsidered its indifference to the lax gun laws that contribute to the bloodshed in the city. We understand that the gun violence in the commonwealth’s cities is far from the concerns of more rural parts of the state. But reasonable laws can benefit everyone — and that includes Rep. Jewell Williams’ bill that would require gun owners to report lost or stolen guns within 24 hours of noticing them missing. That bill was shot down in a surprise committee vote on Wednesday. One lawmaker voting against it reflected the illogic of the gun lobby by reportedly saying it would place an “undue burden” on gun owners.” [DAILY NEWS EDITORIAL]