Editing Frank Rizzo Era (section)

== Rise Through the Police Department ==

Frank Rizzo rose through the Philadelphia Police Department during the 1940s and 1950s, earning a reputation as a tough street cop willing to use force against criminals and anyone else who challenged his authority. He became captain in 1959 and deputy commissioner in 1963. During the Columbia Avenue riot of 1964 and subsequent civil disorders, Rizzo's aggressive approach attracted national attention. Mayor James Tate appointed him police commissioner in 1967, making Rizzo responsible for public safety during some of the most turbulent years in American urban history. Rizzo reveled in the role, personally appearing at crime scenes and confrontations, cultivating media attention, and presenting himself as the city's protector against disorder.<ref name="weigley">{{cite book |last=Weigley |first=Russell F. |title=Philadelphia: A 300-Year History |year=1982 |publisher=W.W. Norton |location=New York}}</ref>

As commissioner, Rizzo directed aggressive policing that satisfied many white Philadelphians frightened by urban crime and civil unrest but outraged African Americans who experienced police brutality. Rizzo's officers conducted raids on Black Panther offices, confronted demonstrators with force, and developed a reputation for violence that civil rights organizations documented and protested. Rizzo dismissed complaints as politically motivated and defended his officers against charges of brutality. His popularity among white voters, particularly in South Philadelphia and the Northeast, made him a formidable political figure independent of the Democratic organization that officially controlled city politics.<ref name="daughen"/>