A violent city turns to volunteers

A month after civic leaders and the police chief in this crime-plagued city called on 10,000 black men to patrol the streets, thousands arrived Sunday by foot, car, motorcycle, bus, in wheelchairs, with sons and nephews in tow.

“Sign up here!” a volunteer shouted to the long line of men that circled Temple University’s Liacouras Center. “Be a part of history!”

In addition to the 6,000 already registered online, more than 7,000 men showed up wearing suits, fraternity letters, job uniforms and T-shirts emblazoned with the faces of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X and the words: “Stop the Violence.”

Many waited more than an hour to register, though they did not know much about how they would be trained or deployed to curb violence. But all agreed they wanted to see an end to the killings and drug wars that have seized their neighborhoods.

More than 300 people have been killed here this year. Last year, there were 406 homicides, and most involved black males.

“It’s the first step,” said Ronald D. Morris Sr., 50, a middle school teacher who brought his 16-year-old son, who has lost two friends to violence. “I hope to try to awaken the spirit of these guys.”

Philadelphia Police Commissioner Sylvester Johnson has faced criticism in recent weeks for backing the plan to put unarmed men on the streets as “peacekeepers” who don’t have the power to arrest. Some have questioned what kind of training volunteers will receive and whether the program will have longevity.

On Sunday, Johnson, who is to retire Jan. 7, reaffirmed his support for the program, telling the men who crowded into the auditorium: “Traditional policing is not working.”

Organizers have asked the men to attend orientations in their neighborhoods, where they will receive training and instructions on how to patrol. The sessions begin Tuesday and will continue throughout the next few weeks. Volunteers are expected to be sent into the streets within 30 days.

The call to participate was directed at black men, but organizers said all were welcome. The majority of those who attended Sunday were black.

Tank Stewart, 59, a nurse, said he signed up because he was tired of seeing gunshot victims arrive at the hospital where he works. He said he was ready to protect his neighborhood, though he knows it will be dangerous.

“Everybody should be afraid; we should have some fear,” he said. “But I’ll be willing to do it.”

But Lamar Reaves, 28, who brought his 5-year-old son, said he was worried that putting men on the streets could lead to more problems.

“It will cause tension,” he said. “It will make some who don’t want to listen turn away.”

Many hoped the day would bring a spirit of change, whether volunteers decided to take to the streets or not.

Throughout the arena, civic organizations handed out pamphlets about other volunteer programs.

As people entered, a voice over the loudspeakers announced: “You’re the person we’ve been waiting for. You’re the solution, and you proved it by being here.”

The men hugged and held hands, raising them in the air and praying as one asked for Philadelphia to be brought back “to the City of Brotherly Love, and not ‘Killadelphia.’ ”

Mayor John F. Street greeted the crowd with the program’s catch phrase: “It’s a new day.”

He continued: “The naysayers are saying, ‘Ah yeah, they went down there for one day, but they ain’t gonna do nothing.’ ”

The audience roared: “No!”

erika.hayasaki@latimes.com