7/16/2008 6:00:00 PM
Retiring clerk Darlene Sistrunk
served PPD, court for over 30 years
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BY T.J. Jernigan
Staff Reporter
Darlene Sistrunk, newly retired municipal court clerk, knew from a very early age that she wanted to work for the city of Philadelphia but never dreamed her career would span 30 years.
"My father started working for the city in 1955, the year before I was born," Sistrunk said. "My dream job growing up as a child was to drive the motor grater!"
As Sistrunk matured, however, her calling to work for the city transformed into a more suitable position.
On July 1, 1979, at the age of 23, she was hired by former Philadelphia Police Chief Fulton Jackson to be a parking meter maid.
"I would collect all the change from the meters and keep track of vehicles' parking time by marking the ground with chalk," she said.
Sistrunk said that to keep up with how long a vehicle had been parked in a particular space, meter maids would outline one of the rear tires on the ground behind the vehicle with chalk. If the tire was still on the line in two hours, the vehicle's owner would be issued a ticket.
Sistrunk's next job for the city was as a dispatcher for the Police Department, which was a lot smaller forced than it is today.
"When I first started dispatching, there were only about two or three police officers in the street," she said. "We were a lot smaller then."
After working as a police dispatcher for about six years, municipal court clerk Martha Patterson resigned, and Sistrunk took over.
As clerk, she performed a variety of duties, including preparing the court dockets and keeping up with arrest records, while serving, also, as the clerk for the police station.
"Back then, the city did not have a separate clerk for the municipal court and the police station so I had to file all the police reports as well," she said.
In the early years, Sistrunk also helped the police department on some drug and child abuse cases serving as a special officer.
"Probably the most meaningful thing I ever did in my career was when I was appointed as a special police officer and helped with some drug cases and child abuse cases," she said.
"Several years ago there was a sexual assault ring that involved several children. I helped them solve that by interviewing the abused children. It was a really horrible case, but it really made a difference in my life at that point in time."
In her 30 years of employment with the city, Sistrunk has worked under police chiefs such as Fulton Jackson, Jack Tier, Arden Gentry, Billy Butler, David Edwards, and the current police chief, Dickie Sistrunk.
Since her first day at work, the city of Philadelphia has been growing and improving, she said.
"There are a lot more officers now, so the workload for clerks and dispatchers has quadrupled," Sistrunk said. "The amount of money taken in for fines and tickets has increased drastically, too."
Retiring in June, Sistrunk expressed her appreciation for the city of Philadelphia.
"This city has been the financial support of my family since I was born, so I feel like I owe the place a lot," she said.
She looks forward to spending lots of time with her seven grandchildren, as well as doing some motor home traveling with her husband, Marty.
They have three children: daughter Christy Barrett, who is married to Don Barrett; daughter Angie Coward, wife of Brett Coward; and son Nathan Sistrunk, who is married to Laura Sistrunk.
Their seven grandchildren are: Mallory Madison, Taylor Barrett, Lauren Coward, John Riley Barrett, Anna Sistrunk, Landon Coward, and Talbott Sistrunk, who is 3 months old.
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