Who is Kevin Bethel: Mayor-elect Cherelle Parker names Chief of School Safety as Philadelphia new police commissioner

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — Mayor-elect Cherelle Parker formally named Kevin Bethel as Philadelphia’s next police commissioner at a press conference Wednesday morning.

“I believe Kevin Bethel is our best choice for police commissioner,” Parker said.

Since 2019, Bethel has served as the Chief of School Safety for The School District of Philadelphia. He also served in the Philadelphia Police Department for 29 years, and served as Deputy Police Commissioner of Patrol Operations for the last eight years before retiring from the force.

FULL NEWS CONFERENCE: Mayor-elect Cherelle Parker names Kevin Bethel as Philadelphia’s new police commissioner

Parker says the decision came after a rigorous interview process, which included two former commissioners.

“Charles Ramsey and Richard Ross. They conducted the interviews with every candidate that we considered,” said Parker.

“He’s very driven committed, and also very innovative,” said Ramsey.

This is the first major leadership decision for Parker, who made public safety one of her top priorities while campaigning.

In his latest role, Bethel worked to create a diversionary program within schools in an effort to keep kids out of the juvenile justice system.

“I think this is the best thing that could happen to Philadelphia, and safety in Philadelphia is to bring him in,” said Dr. Naomi Goldstein.

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Goldstein collaborated with Bethel regarding his work to create the Philadelphia Police School Diversion Program. It’s work that reduced arrests in schools by 84% within a 5-year period.

“How do you do that in ways that keep them on a positive life trajectory, and keep them from a revolving door of the justice system,” said Goldstein.

Bethel is no stranger to crime in Philadelphia. Last school year, 231 students were shot, 33 were killed and 18 guns were recovered on school grounds.

In November 2022, four teens were shot on their walk home after dismissal for Thanksgiving break.

SEE ALSO: 4 students shot near Philadelphia’s Overbrook High School

“This is not a federal problem, not a state problem, it’s a city problem. We are allowing people to walk around with guns and do whatever the hell they want to do in the city,” Bethel said following that shooting.

Bethel’s appointment comes at a time when the department is down in staffing numbers by nearly 1,000 officers.

“We’re very short-handed on the street, sometimes very dangerous conditions without anyone out there to back them up,” said FOP President Roosevelt Poplar.

More than 370 people were killed in Philadelphia this year. Bethel says he’ll track and respond to these trends accordingly.

“Data tells us the when, the where, the why, and the how of where we should put our men and women. If I tell you that most of our juveniles are shot in five zip codes, we should use that data to direct our attention into that space,” he says.

During Wednesday’s announcement, Bethel took time to recognize Interim Police Commissioner John Stanford, whom he says he’s mentored. As he takes his position, Bethel says he knows there is an important role for Stanford in the department.

Bethel is a husband and father of three who graduated from Bartram High School.

He also holds a Bachelors of Science in criminal justice from Chestnut Hill College and a Masters of Science degree in public safety management from St. Joseph’s University.

Statement from Philadelphia FOP Lodge 5 President, Roosevelt Poplar

“We welcome Chief Kevin Bethel back to the best police department in America. He is the right choice at the right time for our department and city and has our fullest support.

We look forward to working shoulder-to-shoulder with incoming Commissioner Bethel to continue our important work of growing our ranks and keeping Philadelphia safe for residents and businesses looking to invest in our great city.

Make no mistake – the challenges are many in running one of the biggest police departments in our country, but we are confident that Commissioner Bethel is up to the task.”