Pedro Rosario named Philadelphia's first Latino deputy police commissioner: 'Truly overwhelmed'
Mayor Cherelle Parker pushes forward on Kensington clean up with new Deputy Commissioner
A historic moment for Philadelphia Police, Mayor Cherelle Parker swore in new leader Pedro Rosario, Philly's first Latino deputy police commissioner who will now oversee the city's public safety initiative in Kensington.
PHILADELPHIA - A historic moment for Philadelphia Police as Mayor Cherelle Parker, along with Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel, stood before a room full of fellow city officials and police officers to swear in a new leader for the department.
Pedro "Pete" Rosario was appointed deputy commissioner, making him the first Latino to hold the position for the city.
"Unmatched qualifications and decades of experience make him the best candidate for this job. And additionally, he just happens to be the first - or will be in a few seconds only after the formalities take place - the first Latino deputy police commissioner in the Philadelphia Police Department," Parker announced during a Wednesday press conference.
Rosario will now oversee the city's public safety initiative in Kensington to help combat the drug and crime crisis that has plagued that section of the city for years.
Bethel described the new deputy commissioner as someone with 29 years of dedicated service, who has the "grit and the tenacity and the empathy to really focus on the work… to restore hope and dignity to kids in an area."
After taking his Oath of Office, Rosario said he was "truly overwhelmed" when he spoke as the city's first Latino deputy police commissioner.
Mayor Cherelle Parker takes aggressive approach to illegal dumping with new clean and green initiatives
Under Mayor Cherelle Parker's clean and green initiatives team, Director Carlton Williams said there will be more investigations, prosecutions, and heftier fines for what’s called "short dumping."
"I want to thank you for this incredible honor and the opportunity to stand by your side and undertake this worthy fight. It is with immense gratitude and humility that I accept this position, understanding the weight of the responsible party they come with. Yes, it's an enormous burden, a responsibility to uphold the reputation of the men and women in uniform," he said.
The deputy commissioner went on to express his commitment to fostering a "culture of collaboration" to achieve "remarkable things" and a "positive influence on the world around us."
Rosario’s wife, Tish, a cop he met on the job, and his two daughters witnessed history today.
"I expect him to do very well, said Tish Rosario. "This is home for us. This is where we started."