by TOM NAMAKO

James “Jamie” McDermott has a spectacular view of two new naval ships outside his office as executive director of the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority. He noted that the ships stand at ready with a full crew, and can deliver cargo or go into battle anywhere in the world at any given time.

As a City Council-at-large candidate who lives in Chestnut Hill, McDermott can sympathize with the spontaneous schedule of the ship’s captains and crew. After a day’s work in his spacious and nautically-themed office — statuettes and paintings of yellow-slicker wearing captains adorn the walls and windowsills — McDermott had to attend union meetings in Port Richmond and South Philadelphia, a rally for Sam Katz and a meet-the-candidates forum in Roxborough, and finally a social function in Tacony.

While his nightly schedule is hectic — some meetings need to be cut short and some ward appearances have to be postponed — McDermott is definite about several things come November 4. He knows that one of the two at-large seats reserved for the minority party — which, in Philadelphia, has been the Republicans for several decades — is guaranteed for Frank Rizzo. He also knows that an election victory will require shaking support loose from Jack Kelly’s vice grip on Northeast voters.

“I think I do have some support in the [Northeast] wards,” McDermott said. “All Kelly will talk about is Northeast Philly. He’s only concentrating on 30 percent of the city.”

Kelly’s stronghold has forced McDermott to create a counter-strategy. Instead of focusing on one section of the city, McDermott is appealing to the voters Kelly may have neglected.

“You can’t run for an at-large candidacy and say that you don’t want support from South and West Philly, for example,” Mc Dermott said. “While I do campaign in the Northeast, I’m also attending meetings in every part of town.”

The at-large hopeful likened Kelly’s narrow approach to Mayor Street’s administration. He noted that Street has overemphasized some areas of the city and neglected others.

McDermott alluded to an example rooted in Chestnut Hill’s ongoing desire for more police protection, especially since the spate of armed business and bank robberies over the summer.

“One police captain should not have to let needed officers into another district,” McDermott said. “I lived 10 houses from Russell Byers. Does it take that much to keep officers where they’re stationed?”

McDermott was referring to the fatal stabbing of Philadelphia Daily News columnist and Chestnut Hill resident Russell Byers outside an area convenience store in 1999.

But, why does McDermott, with a color-coded map of the docks surrounding the Walt Whitman bridge behind his chair, feel qualified to critique the city’s crime prevention measures? Beside serving as executive director and legal counsel to the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority, he spent 11 years as assistant district attorney in the juvenile division.

McDermott notes that his work experience and being a fourth-generation Philadelphian — educated at St. Joseph’s Preparatory and St. Joseph’s University — has helped him identify key concerns among Philadelphia residents. In the past ten years, he believes quality of life in the school system, job opportunities, and most importantly, criminal justice, are the city’s main issues.

Catering to criminal justice, McDermott noted that he would establish neighborhood nuisance courts if elected. Similar to the Center City Community Courts, McDermott proposed that the jurisdiction falls within the six Philadelphia Police Department detective divisions, operating from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday, with an additional time from 12 noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday.

“A large portion of criminals who affect the quality of life over the weekends are under 18,” McDermott said. “These courts would provide instant justice for crimes against property or curfew, for example.”

The fines generated from the courts would make it financially self sufficient, McDermott said. He compared the plan to the Eagles court in Veterans Stadium, initially presided over by Superior Court candidate Judge Seamus McCaffery.

When asked if this type of justice only focused on one part of the city’s crime, ignoring serious offenses such as armed robbery or homicide, McDermott noted that undercutting smaller misdemeanors helps more violent crime drop as well.

“It also helped eliminate the revolving door syndrome in the city now,” McDermott said. “I’m not out to ruin a youngster who made an honest mistake.” He noted that with a “conditional guilty” plea, a defendant is fined, and his criminal record will be removed after a specified period of time.

This and McDermott’s other initiatives, such as creating jobs and improving the public school system established by CEO Paul Vallas, have won him endorsements from the Fraternal Order of Police, the Firefighter’s Union, and Senator Arlen Specter.

“Working at the port made me realize the value of a job in Philadelphia,” McDermott said. “These endorsements came from a mutual respect and dignity; as assistant D.A., I came to know many of the police as well as the firefighters through arson cases.”

McDermott ran for the same seat in the 1999 election and lost.
“I learned the power of incumbency that election,” McDermott said. One of his competitors that year was the late Thatcher Longstreth, who served on City Council on-and-off from 1969 until his death this year.