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Police Commissioner
Sylvester Johnson
ylvester M. Johnson, a 41-year veteran of the Philadelphia Police
Department, became the 13th Police Commissioner of the City of
Philadelphia on January 4, 2002. At the time of his appointment,
Police Commissioner Johnson was Deputy Commissioner of Operations,
the second highest-ranking officer in the Department with responsibility
for all front-line police operations including the Patrol, Detective,
Narcotics, Special Patrol, Civil Affairs, Emergency Response,
and Command Inspections Bureaus. He had been appointed to that
post in April 1998 by Police Commissioner John F. Timoney and
was Timoney's principal advisor and operational commander throughout
his period as Police Commissioner. In this capacity, Johnson was
the main architect and leader of Operation Sunrise, the multi-agency
anti-drug operation launched by the City in 1998, and played a
major role in the Police Department's highly successful handling
of the Republican National Convention in Philadelphia in July
2000.
In 2001, Johnson received two prestigious awards recognizing his
outstanding contribution to policing in Philadelphia. These were
the George Fencl Award presented annually by the Philadelphia
Daily News for "dedication, civic commitment, fairness and respect
for the rule of law" and the Director's Award of the US Department
of Justice Executive Office for the Weed & Seed Program.
Johnson joined the Philadelphia Police Department in 1964. During
the course of his long and distinguished career, he served in
a wide variety of assignments including the Highway Patrol Unit,
Police Radio/Communications Unit, East Detective Division, Homicide
Unit, Northwest Detective Division, North Central Detective Division,
Dignitary Protection Unit/Mayor's Security and the Headquarters
Investigation Unit. Nationally recognized as an expert in the
field of hostage negotiation, Johnson is credited with formalizing
the Hostage Negotiation Team concept in Philadelphia. He also
worked closely with the FBI to investigate allegations of corruption
in the Philadelphia Police Department. He was chosen for this
assignment because of his unchallenged reputation for integrity.
Throughout his notable career, he has been awarded over thirty
departmental commendations, including the prestigious Award of
Valor awarded for an extraordinary act of courage, without regard
to personal safety, while engaged in actual combat with an armed
and dangerous adversary. He is also the recipient of numerous
community service and humanitarian awards.
Police Commissioner Johnson attended Philadelphia Community College,
Temple University, the Senior Management Institute for Police
at Harvard University, Pennwalt Corporation's Targeted Management
Training, the United States Secret Service Dignitary Protection
Training, the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) National
Academy Class 172, and the FBI National Executive Institute.
Johnson's commitment to community service extends far beyond his
professional life as a police officer. He has always been an active
participant in community activities, especially those that further
the positive development of youth. While commander of the Headquarters
Investigations Unit (HIU) located in the Hunting Park section
of Philadelphia, he recognized the need for guidance and hope
for the children of the local Thomas Mifflin School. With this
in mind, he arranged for the HIU to adopt the school and encouraged
his officers to provide counseling and direction to the many students
who lived in a neighborhood plagued by drugs and crime.
Johnson and his wife, Cynthia, have three sons, each of whom has
followed his father example by becoming law enforcement professionals.
In his spare time, Johnson enjoys jogging and a weekly game of
basketball.
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However, some of the material presented here may have expired
since it was posted. Persons should contact a Philadelphia Police
representative whenever relying on dated material or information
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