Philly’s top cop joining national gun violence commission

Philadelphia’s police commissioner has been named to a national group that will review gun violence in the wake of the school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut.

Commissioner Charles Ramsey has been appointed to the panel formed by President Barack Obama to discuss possible policy changes in hopes of preventing further mass shootings and addressing gun violence.

Ramsey says he’s waiting to see if the public is still asking for change in a few months.

“We just experienced this most recent tragedy,” he said Wednesday. “If this conversation is still taking place in April and May, then I will truly be encouraged. But we have a history of saying a lot of things and doing a lot of things initially and then it just fades away. We have to take some action.”

Later this week, the commissioner is expected to meet with Vice President Joe Biden, who is leading the panel.