Mother of Slain Philadelphia Cop Pleads For Overhaul of State Parole System
By Mike Dunn
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- There was tearful testimony today from the mother of a Philadelphia police officer who was murdered last year by a recent prison parolee.
The testimony came during a City Council hearing on the state parole system.
"This is very rough and very hard to be here this morning," said Wayne Walker-Lipscomb as she spoke to councilmembers at the start of the latest hearing on the failings of the parole system.
It was her first appearance in Council since her son, Philadelphia police officer Moses Walker, was gunned down by a parolee last August (see related stories).
"This time last year my son was alive," she said haltingly. "I could count on every morning talking to my son. I could count on hearing his voice. And all of that was taken away."
The grieving mother says she wants reform of the system:
"How long will it take? One is too many. That one was my son. The lot fell on my family. And my heart is broken. The right thing needs to be done. I just want justice done for my son. It doesn't have to happen. It didn't have to happen, and it doesn't have to happen for anyone else ever again."
The Council hearing focused in particular on the workload of case workers who supervise parolees, and on whether the system offers adequate supervision of violent ex-offenders.
