Philadelphia 9-1-1 Dispatcher Robbed Outside Police Headquarters

Sept. 16, 2022
Security cameras caught a suspect grabbing a 9-1-1 dispatcher's purse steps away from Philadelphia police headquarters and then dragging her several feet before fleeing.

A Philadelphia 9-1-1 dispatcher was robbed early Thursday outside the Philadelphia Police Department's new headquarters.

The incident happened after the dispatcher arrived at the station in an Uber for her 6 a.m. shift, The Philadelphia Inquirer reports. Security camera video shows she was steps away from the building entrance when a man in dark clothing confronted her from behind.

The suspect grabbed the dispatcher's purse from her arm and dragged her several feet. He then struck her multiple times before fleeing.

“This should not be happening,” Darnell Davis, business agent for the dispatchers’ union, told The Inquierer. “The climate in the city is you’re not safe anywhere. You’re not safe with 13 parked police cars stationed right there outside the headquarters. This should be the safest place in the city — but it’s not.”

An officer was stationed outside the headquarters, but a police spokesman said he didn't witness the incident. Video of the mugging shows the suspect running toward the booth as he snatches the purse.

The dispatcher was taken to the hospital and treated for minor injuries. She had only started on the job seven months ago.

“She’s pretty bruised up,” said Davis. “And she’s pretty shaken up.”

Because the dispatcher hadn't started her shift, she doesn't qualify for njured-on-the-job benefits under the union contract, Davis said. The union, however, wants the department to make an exception for this incident because it was so close to police headquarters.

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