Nutter-1. FOP-0

In Philadelphia, not only is politics local, it’s also very petty.

The Fraternal Order of Police is apparently livid over Mayor-Elect Nutter's appointment for Deputy Mayor of Public Safety, Everett Gillison, a longtime public defender.

On Wednesday Nutter choose Gillison for the newly created post, which is responsible for developing policy, as well as bringing desperately needed coordination between the police officers who arrest criminals and the criminal justice system that prosecutes them..

At the press conference, Gillison said:

“We have an immense challenge before us,” referring to the city’s crime epidemic, and used Nutter's campaign motto to declare it's "a new day and a new way."

Gillison, a public defender for some 22 years, is a senior trial lawyer for the Defender Association of Philadelphia.

In 2006, he was one of two public defenders who represented Solomon Montgomery in the shooting death of Officer Gary Skerski.

Gillison's role was perfunctory; Montgomery pleaded guilty.

“We believe this appointment sends the wrong message to the citizens of this city,” said FOP president John McNesby in a statement the day after Gillison's appointment, “especially in the climate that exists today, that our Police Officers witness first hand on a daily basis.”

“The Fraternal Order of Police on behalf of every Philadelphia Police Officer condemns this appointment, and would ask the Mayor-Elect to reconsider.”

Nutter won't. And he shouldn't.

It's obvious that the FOP is feeling the chill of Nutter's promised "new day."

The mayor-elect went outside the police department's ranks to pick a commissioner. He even created a cabinet post to develop public safety policy and watch the police department's money.

But this morning Nutter chose the high road and publicly apologized to McNesby for not giving him a heads up, and perhaps, in McNesby's mind, for believing that every person has a constitutional right to a defense, and for believing that a public servant like Gillison shouldn’t be penalized for simply doing is job.

(Photo credit: Everett Gillison by the Philadelphia Inquirer)