Alan D. Lewis, retired Philadelphia deputy police commissioner and U.S. marshal, has died at 87
Over 29 years, he also served as a patrolman, undercover investigator, district patrol sergeant, supervisor of detectives, and district captain.
Alan D. Lewis, 87, of Philadelphia, former deputy commissioner of the Philadelphia Police Department, first Black U.S. marshal for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, college criminal justice instructor, and one of President George H.W. Bush’s celebrated “thousand points of light” volunteers, died Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, of organ failure at Nazareth Hospital.
Mr. Lewis was a graduate of Central High School and an award-winning member of the Police Department for 29 years. From 1965 to 1994, he was a patrolman, an undercover investigator, a district patrol sergeant, a supervisor of detectives, and a district captain.
He became an expert in explosives and airport security, and was a senior instructor at the Police Academy for 12 years and head of the bomb squad, juvenile aid division, and gang control and narcotics field units. As deputy commissioner from 1992 to 1994, he became the highest-ranking Black department member after Commissioner Willie Williams resigned in 1992.
He was a candidate to replace Williams as commissioner, and, when he did not, was appointed as the first Black U.S. marshal for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania in 1994 by President Bill Clinton. He was captain of the 22nd District of the East Police Division in north-central Philadelphia from 1987 to 1992 and recognized for reducing crime, improving community relations, and supporting neighborhood educational and enrichment programs.
In 1989, the Daily News gave him its George Fencl Award for “service and dedication to the communities they serve.” In 1990, he was named to President Bush’s Points of Light honor roll for his community volunteer work.
He was a finalist for police commissioner in Washington in 1992, and the U.S. Marshals Service named his 100-person staff the best big-city office in the country in 1995. In 2001, he was dismissed as marshal of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania for what government officials said was using city police officers for personal business. He said in a statement at the time: “Any infraction was unintentional and, in my opinion, undeserving of the level and intensity of punishment visited upon me.”
He also served as deputy public affairs officer to the police commissioner and championed community-oriented police policies in the 1980s. He collected books and set up libraries in public housing and homeless shelters, and created student scholarships, reading workshops, and mentorship programs.
He trained with the FBI, Secret Service, and other law enforcement agencies, and taught criminal justice classes at Temple University, Community College of Philadelphia, and Delaware County Community College. He also taught driver education for Keystone AAA.
He earned community service and human rights awards from Gov. Robert Casey, the Red Cross, International Reading Association, Frankford Rotary Club, Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations, and other groups.
His family praised his “leadership, his compassion, and his dedication to public service” in a tribute. They said: “His philosophy of ‘Look around for trouble and find somebody out there to help’ guided not just his professional life but his personal interactions as well.”
His niece Koma Gandy Fischbein said: “He was a commanding presence. He solved problems and supported the community. He represented safety, security, and sobriety.”
Alan Drew Lewis was born Aug. 14, 1937, in Philadelphia. One of seven children, he was generally serious and practical, a get-things-done kind of person, his niece said. He graduated from Central and earned an associate’s degree and a certification in police science at Temple in 1976.
He married Inez Winters, and they lived in Elkins Park and Philadelphia. He served in the Army and was active in neighborhood projects and at Zion Baptist Church. His wife died earlier.
“His legacy lives on in the countless lives he touched and the communities he helped transform,” his family said. His niece said: “He was always there for his family. He was a stabilizing pillar and larger than life. He was the rock.”
In addition to his niece, Mr. Lewis is survived by a sister, Judy, and other relatives. A sister and four brothers died earlier.
A remembrance is to be at noon Saturday, April 19, at Laurel Hill Funeral Home, 225 Belmont Ave., Bala Cynwyd, Pa. 19004.