Phila. police veteran is new school security chief

The Philadelphia School District's new security chief is a veteran officer indefinitely on loan from the Police Department.

Chief Inspector Myron Patterson, a 25-year veteran, was tapped by Superintendent Arlene Ackerman on Friday. He starts his new job on Monday.

Patterson remains on the police payroll, and the city will continue to pay his $114,656 salary, a district spokesman said.

The new school safety chief will report to both Ackerman and Deputy Police Commissioner Richard Ross. Patterson most recently oversaw the Southwest Division, comprising four patrol districts and one detective unit. He was promoted to chief inspector this month.

Police Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey, who Ackerman said selected Patterson for the job, described him as the right person to lead the district's safety office.

"I am confident Chief Inspector Myron Patterson will provide veteran law-enforcement leadership to the Philadelphia School District police and the Philadelphia community," the commissioner stated.

James B. Golden Jr., who led the district's safety office for five years, abruptly resigned Tuesday. Golden had a police background but was a district employee.

District sources said Golden had expressed frustration that Ackerman did not consult him enough on safety decisions, a charge she strongly denied. Golden has declined to comment on those reports and said he left to pursue another job opportunity.

This is not the first time the district has turned to a city police officer to fill the top safety job. In 1993, the police force lent William Bergman to the district; in 2001, it was Dexter Green.

The district's safety office has a $40 million budget and oversees 265 schools.

Ackerman said she collaborated with Mayor Nutter and Ramsey before appointing Patterson. After Golden resigned, she said she would rely on Ramsey to help devise strategies for school safety.

"Safety and security remain top priorities for me," the superintendent said in a statement. "We still have a long way to go to ensure every child, teacher and administrator is safe in every school every day. Chief Inspector Patterson will help us reach that goal."

Over the last two years, the number of reported violent incidents in city schools has dropped by 29 percent, according to the district.

"I look forward to working with the superintendent, the School District police force, and with principals and other staff members," Patterson said. "Our focus will be to evaluate safety measures and district practices, recommend appropriate strategies, and allocate safety resources and personnel as effectively and efficiently as possible for the benefit of the children, teachers, parents, and families."

Patterson will evaluate the current structure of the safety office before determining priorities, said Fernando Gallard, the district spokesman.

Patterson, 54, is a Philadelphia native and graduate of Benjamin Franklin High School. He has a bachelor's degree from Pennsylvania State University and a master's from St. Joseph's University. He lives in the Mount Airy section of the city.

He began his police career as a patrol officer in the 35th District and worked his way through the ranks as a sergeant, lieutenant, captain, and inspector. Over the years, he has completed efficiency studies at the Special Operations Bureau, and served as a productivity and efficiency analyst for the Tactical Bureau.

Gallard said officials were confident that Patterson's experience would serve him well in dealing with schools and school police officers.

"He has a lot of experience working with the community, working with schools, as he oversaw a large division in the city," Gallard said. "He's got a strong number of positions where he worked directly with communities and schools."

He was once disciplined over an alleged offensive racial remark. In 1996, Patterson, then a lieutenant, was suspended for three days without pay after allegedly telling a group of African American police officers during roll call that he had waited all his life to see a roll call exclusively of black officers.

Patterson, who is African American, did not see a white officer who was at the back of the room and who reported to a supervisor that he was offended by the remark.

At the time, Commissioner Richard Neal said Patterson made some "inappropriate" statements.

When asked about the alleged incident, Ackerman said she had confidence in Ramsey and his selection of Patterson.

"I am certain that Chief Inspector Patterson will treat all people, including students and staff, with the utmost respect regardless of their race or ethnicity," Ackerman stated.