Not the best places to be involved with illegal activity

Here are two tales from the Book of Brainless Law-Breakers - both committed their crimes within handcuffing distance of police officers.

In Southwest Philadelphia, a drunk driver arguing with a woman in another car early yesterday lost control, steered his vehicle onto the sidewalk and slammed into the headquarters of Southwest Detectives and the 18th Police District, said Lt. Joel Dales, a district supervisor.

Justin Hudson, 22, of Allison Street near Christian, was charged with driving under the influence after the 1:15 a.m. incident on Pine Street near 55th, police said. The impact knocked a few bricks loose from the building but did not compromise its stability, Dales said.

And in Nicetown Wednesday night, an Olney man got into a gunbattle outside a community meeting attended by a police captain and another officer.

Capt. John McCloskey, commander of the 35th Police District, and Officer Vincenzo Laspina heard the shots, hurried outside, spotted Durrell Bolling blasting away at two other armed men and promptly arrested him, McCloskey said.

Bolling, 22, of Champlost Avenue near Mascher Street, was charged with gun offenses and recklessly endangering another person after the 6:35 p.m. shootout on Germantown Avenue near 18th Street.

McCloskey was working an evening shift as part of Police Commissioner Sylvester Johnson's new "Commanders on Patrol" program.

After McCloskey and Lasina repeatedly ordered Bolling to drop his spent weapon, he did and was arrested without resistance, McCloskey said. He was treated at Temple University Hospital for a leg wound he had received in the shootout.

The other gunmen ran off and were still at large last night. *