Richard Ross Reflects On First Year As Police Commissioner

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Violent crime in Philadelphia is down, about five percent — that includes rape, robbery, assault and homicide.

Police involved shootings are level with 2015, down 20 percent from 2014, with officers are learning new training techniques to ease tense situations.

"If something is working, you tweak it, you modify it as you can, but you don't change it," says Philadelphia Police Commissioner Richard Ross.

He credits foot patrol, among other initiatives for continuing to drive down crime.

"We are continuing to do that, a long, long way to go," he said.

It's been about a year since Ross was sworn in as Police Commissioner. He's now led the department through a major national event this summer.

"You have to be willing to be -- well, obviously, plan and prepare for just about anything, particularly because of the world we live in."

The 52-year-old has the experience. As a 27-year veteran of the force, he's worked with similar crowds, and on an international level with the Papal Visit, as First Deputy Commissioner to then- Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey.

"You also have to be flexible and be able to move on the fly according to what's happening."

The Philadelphia Police Department is the 4th largest in the country, with 6,200+ officers, with vacancies of about 350 in 2016.

"That is a significant number," he said. "You can do a lot of things with 350 additional people."

He says those empty spots are mostly because officers have retired at a faster rate than cadets are being trained.

"I do believe that with the number of people in the pipeline now, we will fill those vacancies," he says, adding that there are new classes in training at the Philadelphia Police Academy this year, that hope to graduate by the end of next year.

The contract with the police officers union expires at the end of June. The city and the union will head to binding arbitration to draw up a new one.

"The city is making their preparations, and I am sure the FOP is also."

Ross says they are in the very beginning stages of any negotiations between the department and the Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge 5.

"We probably got one of the strongest unions in the country, and they are very, very effective," he says. "Not many unions have been able to get their membership raises during a recession, this one did."

He says he doesn't expect any issues, and has great respect for the union's leadership.

"I am always very realistic and pragmatic about our union, and collective bargaining."

Ross says it's been an interesting year for his officers, with a number of cops on the receiving end of protests in the city.

"Fortunately none of them got violent, some of them were a little contentious," says Ross. "Some {protesters try to} to agitate to a point where they can really get an officer to do something they shouldn't do, and so you have to applaud them when they are able to maintain their composure."

And that may be because of the training officers have to go through. Each officer learns 'Crisis Intervention Training', in addition to a newer course called 'Reality Based Training', which teaches cops how to defuse a situation with the least amount of force.

"I think it's the temperament of the officers that really lends itself to the success that we've had."

But he says the true key to success is bridging the gap with those they are sworn to protect and serve.

The department has hosted several sit down meetings with students and community groups.

"We try to do as many as we can, with pretty much eclectic kind of groups -- different across the board, age, demographics and so forth."

Ross says in the new year, there will be even more of an effort

"We are trying to be as intentional as possible, about connecting with as many communities as possible."