PHILADELPHIA _ Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5 President John McNesby, angered by an op-ed piece by Malcolm Jenkins on the selection of a new Philadelphia police commissioner, is calling the Eagles safety a "non-resident, washed up football player" who has no business tackling crime "when he can't even manage to tackle his own opponents."
In a letter posted on the FOP Lodge 5's Twitter account, in response to Jenkins' commentary that the Inquirer published Monday, McNesby called the op-ed a "racist attack" and said its proposals "would leave Philadelphia's many crime victims as defenseless as his 'his poor play has left his football team."
The union president also blasted the Inquirer for publishing the commentary, saying that by "sponsoring the racist attack" the newspaper had sunk to a new low that "shows why the only people who still subscribe to the paper are those who use it to train their puppies."
In the op-ed, Jenkins, who lives in the city's Northern Liberties section, called on Mayor Jim Kenney to listen to Philadelphians before choosing a new police commissioner.
He specifically called for a commissioner who will "fight back against the police union."
"Nearly every time we hear a story of an officer abusing power, whether through violence or racist Facebook postings, the police union is there to defend the bad behavior," he wrote. "We need a commissioner who isn't in lockstep with the union and who will instead push back when the union tries to hide and justify bad behavior. The commissioner must also support a union contract that allows for more officer accountability, even if that is an unpopular position with the rank and file."
Matt Ruben, president of the Northern Liberties Neighbors Association, confirmed in a phone interview Wednesday that Jenkins does live in Northern Liberties. He said he hasn't personally seen the football player around NoLibs, but knows other neighbors who have spotted him, including when Jenkins voted at a NoLibs polling place for the city primary elections in May.
Further, The Inquirer spoke Wednesday to a resident who lives in the same townhouse complex as Jenkins in NoLibs, who also confirmed that the football player, his wife, and their children live in that complex. "Because he's a football player, we try to respect their privacy," said the neighbor, who asked to remain anonymous.
McNesby did not immediately respond Wednesday to calls or a text message for comment on why he called Jenkins a "non-resident" in his letter.
