by KYW's Mike Dunn

Saying he wants to make city recreation centers "safe havens" for kids, Philadelphia mayor Michael Nutter has chosen a police lieutenant to be his new recreation commissioner.

Lt. Susan Slawson, a 20-year veteran of the Philadelphia police force, will take a leave from duty to run the Recreation Department. 

Nutter says he chose Slawson in part because she's been running Police Athletic League centers since 2002 -- centers that he says are safe havens:

"You never hear about any kind of incidents at our PAL centers, and I think there's a reason for that."

The reason, Nutter says, is Slawson's leadership.

Slawson agrees that the goal is secure rec centers:

"It's important that our young people, our senior citizens, and our teens -- people in our communities -- are coming to centers that you'd like to send your children to, centers that I'd like to send my children to."

Slawson, at the Recreation Department, will contend with decaying facilities and staffing vacancies (related story).