Former Philly Police Commissioner John Timoney Dies
Former Philadelphia Police Commissioner John Timoney.
Former Philadelphia police commissioner John Timoney, 68, died of lung cancer yesterday.
Timoney served as Philly’s police commissioner between 1998 and 2001, under Mayor Ed Rendell.
We mourn the passing of former PPD Commissioner John F. Timoney, who proudly led our Dept. from 1998-2001. RIP, sir. pic.twitter.com/5D73OxSZLf
— Philadelphia Police Department (@PhillyPolice) August 17, 2016
Timoney, who moved from Ireland to New York as a teenager, came to Philadelphia after spending 29 years with the New York Police Department, where he rose to become first deputy commissioner under the influential police commissioner William Bratton.
Timoney courted a fair share of praise during his tenure as well as controversy, mainly following the 2000 Republican National Convention, when the Philadelphia police force clashed repeatedly with protestors.
After working in Philly, Timoney served as chief of the Miami Police Department until 2010. He then consulted with the Camden County police department and the Ministry of Bahrain. Timoney had been battling stage IV lung cancer since July.
Police Commissioner Richard Ross released the following statement on Timoney’s death:
“On behalf of the men and women of the department, we extend our heartfelt condolences to his family .
John Timoney was a very confident and colorful leader. He was a tenacious guy who believed law enforcement needed to be relentless in its pursuit of criminals who preyed on the defenseless.
He was very outspoken on a number of issues, not the least of which was his strong belief in our Constitution. Despite his strong stance on law and order, he was a civil libertarian. I think he appreciated this country and the opportunities it provided him and many others. But he also made allowances for the fact that everyone in this country doesn’t always feel that way.
Rest in peace Commissioner Timoney. You have definitely made an indelible mark on the profession. Job well done.”
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