Police Polices, Practices, and Alternatives
Police Policies - Use of Force,"Stop and Frisk", Crisis Intervention
Allentown Police Department - recent policy changes:
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Bethlehem Police Department Policies
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Philadelphia Police Department Policies
In fall of 2021, Philadelphia City Council overwhelmingly approved a law banning officers from stopping motorists for low-level infractions such as broken taillights or expired tags. Advocates said the move would reduce racial disparities in car stops. |
Police Oversight Boards
- Who polices the police? In Pittsburgh and Allegheny County, a critical crossroads for civilian review (PublicSource: July 8, 2020)
- Philadelphia: Citizens Police Oversight Commission The Citizens Police Oversight Commission (CPOC) holds community meetings. Meetings are open to the public. In addition, the commission holds hearings and issues opinions on matters related to community policing. These hearings are also open to the public, and opinions are made available. We provide recommendations on how to improve the police department to the mayor, the managing director, and the police commissioner.
- Prison Oversight Board Advocates Coalition (Philadelphia) (poba-coalition@alcenter.org). The coalition was working for a spring 2024 ballot initiative to create a Prison Oversight Board to replace the impotent Prison Advisory Board, but that effort was not successful. So the POBAC organized a rally on April 9 at Philly City Hall budget hearing "to fight for community funding - not cops." Mayor Cherelle Parker proposed a 2025 budget of $1.2 billion, for Philadelphia's police & prisons "while our public schools, parks, libraries & critical social services are deeply underfunded."
- Fixing Philly Prisons will be hard, but here's a plan for how to do it
(Philadelphia Neighborhoods: January 8, 2024)
- Prison advocates, citing recent deaths, lobby for oversight legislation (Sept. 28, 2023)
- Community Safety Beyond Policing - several national organizations have put together resources on creating community safety by investing more in what actually makes communities safe and spending less on policing. See, for example,
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Police Reform - Pennsylvania and Lehigh Valley:
- 3 years after Philly limited police stops, research report into who's still getting pulled over (WHYY: March 4, 2025) Since 2022, Philly cops have not been able to stop someone for an expired registration or broken taillight.
- Philadelphia police will stop arresting kids for some crimes under a new diversion program (Philadelphia Inquirer: Jan. 2, 2025)
- Kevin Bethel, has been been appointed as Philadelphia's new police commissioner. (Children First: Feb. 16, 2024) As the former chief of school safety he successfully led an expansion of the Philadelphia Police Department's school-based diversion program, which responds to low-level misbehavior Ñ like marijuana possession or bringing scissors to school - by linking kids to supportive services, instead of arresting them. These alternatives include academic support and mentoring to identify reasons why kids may be acting out. Since 2013, arrests in Philadelphia public schools have gone down by over 90%. (Bethel's diversion program began in the 2014-15 academic year.) Youth in the program were also less likely to be suspended or arrested within five years after they went through the program than those students who were arrested at school.
- Allentown residents: Proposed public health program not meant to defund police
(WFMZ: Jun 13, 2023)
- Allentown City Council expected to vote Thursday on alternative first-response program (LehighValleyNews: June 13, 2023)
- Allentown ballot initiative could send social workers instead of police to some crisis situations (Morning Call: April 30, 2023)
- Allentown citizens propose legislation to create $4M public health pilot program
(WFMZ: May 4, 2023)
- Bethlehem - Community Connections Program
(State of the City Address: Morning Call, 4/6/2023) Bethlehem's Community Connections program, which began last year, is a collaborative effort between the Bethlehem Health Bureau and Bethlehem Police Department. The program pairs social workers with police officers responding to emergency calls about substance abuse, homelessness or domestic violence.
- Easton - Federal civil trial starts Tuesday in woman's brutality claim against Easton police
(Morning Call: 4/10/2023) The suit says the city has, among other things, failed to reform its command and control structure or properly train officers in use of force despite repeated promises to do so in the wake of previous incidents.
- Does Allentown need to hire more police officers?
(MorningCall: Mar. 13, 2022 -- MCall login required)
- Pennsylvania faces 'historic shortage of police.' AG Shapiro, Commissioner Outlaw call on Harrisburg for help (WHYY: March 15, 2022)
- Philly is getting a new police oversight board with more power. Meet the activists, leaders, lawyers, and judges nominated to serve on it. The new board can initiate its own investigations, with or without a formal complaint, while the old board could only forward complaints to police. (BillyPenn: Feb. 8, 2022)
- State police cast doubt on annual training to prevent bias, despite recommendation by panel set up after George Floyd's death (MorningCall: Feb. 22, 2022)
- Pennsylvania State Police push back on panel recommendation requiring independent investigations when troopers kill, injure (SpotlightPA:Feb. 24, 2022)
- How Allentown's new mayor and police chief plan to improve relations after series of brutality settlements (Morning Call, Paul Muschick, Dec. 20, 2021)
- New Easton police victim advocate will give crime victims a voice
(LehighValleyLive: Dec. 28, 2021) Mayor Panto proposes to use COVID stimulus money to add victim advocate division to police department.
- Pa. Supreme Court Rules Pot Smell Alone Can't Justify Warrantless Search
(AP: Dec. 29, 2021)The Pennsylvania Supreme Court says the smell of marijuana can be a factor police use to justify a search without a warrant but can't be the sole basis for it.
Also see this U.S. News report.
- Christian Hall was killed one year ago by Pa. State Police. His family still wants answers.
(Spotlight: Dec. 30, 2021)
- After 4 Killings, 'Officer of the Year' Is Still on the Job
(NYTimes: Dec. 30, 2021) Pennsylvania state trooper Jay Splain was returned to duty following three investigations by his own agency. A fourth inquiry is underway.
- Charles Roca confirmed as new Allentown police chief in unanimous City Council vote
(Morning Call: Sept. 9, 2021)
- For police in Lehigh Valley, as elsewhere, vigilance against terrorism has become routine since 9/11 (Morning Call, Sept. 10, 2021)
The Northeast Pennsylvania Regional Counter Terrorism Task Force has access to federal homeland security grants which fund items such as armored vehicles and remote-control robots for disarming bombs, for the special response teams in the task force's member law enforcement agencies.
- Judge reinstates simple assault charge against ex-Philly police officer
(AP: September 1, 2021)
- Federal lawsuit accuses Chester Twp. police of civil rights violations in arrests of Black residents for loitering (WHYY: September 1, 2021)
- Allentown, Lehigh County look to expand crisis response program in 2022
(Morning Call, Aug. 27, 2021) Plan would increase social worker total in the city
- Deposition raises questions in Pittsburgh police shooting
(AP: August 19, 2021)
- Allentown police forming community board to strengthen neighborhood relationships following spate of violence (Morning Call: Aug. 18, 2021)
- Philly DA Krasner seeks contempt order against Philadelphia Police for failure to disclose officers' disciplinary records (WHYY: August 11, 2021)
- Police Use of Force Project - How police use of force policies can help to end police violence
- A killing by police in Philadelphia could change Pa. use-of-force cases forever
(Spotlight: July 27, 2021)
- Q&A with Allentown interim police Chief Charles Roca: (MorningCall: Aug. 1, 2021)
'Not policing the community, policing with the community'
- Pennsylvania lawmakers creating bill to stop cellphone use while driving and mandate police collect race data on traffic stops (July 16, 2021)
- Why can't Allentown find a long-term police chief and school superintendent?
(Morning Call: May 21, 2021)
- Allentown police Chief Glenn Granitz Jr. leaving for top cop job in tiny West Reading
(Morning Call: May 20, 2021)
- Six Allentown police chiefs in six years? Here's what led to the turnover
(Morning Call: May 20, 2021)
- Allentown police recruit more homegrown officers who speak Spanish. 'It's easier to build rapport with someone who can understand you' (Morning Call: Mar. 26, 2021)
- Philadelphia - campaign to cancel the co-responder program and instead fully fund mobile crisis teams that will be dispatched separately from the police.
On October 9, 2020, the City announced its 911 Triage and Co-Responder Program, which is currently designed to connect residents experiencing behavioral health crises to law enforcement and clinicians working together in response to calls for service. According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, some residents believe the City's co-responder pilot program will "connect residents to services, divert people from the criminal justice system, and de-escalate potentially volatile situations" while other residents believe the program "doesn't go far enough and advocate[s] removing police entirely, sending social workers and clinicians instead."
- Following other cities, Philly will soon send specialists alongside cops to some mental health calls (PhillyInquirer: May 4, 2021)
Other jurisdictions are trying more aggressive plans that leave the first response to mental health emergencies entirely up to health-care providers, not police. It could be in PhillyÕs future.
- How Troopers Use Traffic Stops
(Spotlight: Apr. 28, 2021)
- Friends hope new app will empower Philadelphians to help prevent gun violence
(WHYY: April 30, 2021) Volunteers have been trained to mediate social media disputes before they erupt in violence.
- Why mental health providers or social workers should help with many 911 calls
(Julie Thomases, Morning Call Op-Ed, Apr. 11, 2021)
- Following two fatal police shootings in Lehigh Valley region, officials weigh crisis programs to avert tragedy (MorningCall: Apr. 11, 2021)
- Can Philadelphia transform its police force from 'warriors' to 'guardians'?
Could this de-escalation training help?
New police tactics are expected in Philly after the death of Walter Wallace Jr.
(Philly Inquirer: Nov. 29, 2020)
- Plain Smell Doctrine: The Pennsylvania Superior Court has decided that the odor of marijuana no longer establishes per se probable cause to search a motor vehicle. This is a landmark victory for defendants charged with crimes, as in vast number of stops and arrests police justify an intrusive search of defendant's vehicle based on the smell of marijuana.
- 'This is a blank canvas': Creating Philly's new Citizens Police Oversight Commission
(WHYY: Nov. 13, 2020)
- How mental health pros intervene on a 911 call - what didn't happen for Walter Wallace Jr. (BillyPenn: Nov. 8, 2020) If there is a weapon involved, "people feel comfortable enough to relinquish [it]," a local crisis response expert said.
- Defund the police? Why that's a bad idea in Allentown
(Paul Muschick, MorningCall, Nov. 2, 2020)
- Police shooting interrupts hearing on proposed police oversight commission
(WHYY: Oct. 26, 2020)
- Pittsburgh Task force on police reform announces its recommendations
(Post-Gazette: Oct. 19, 2020)
- With two City Council members objecting, Allentown hires 11 police officers ahead of expected retirement wave (Morning Call: Oct. 9, 2020)
- Philly police to start flagging 911 calls that involve a behavioral health crisis
(WHYY: Oct. 9, 2020)
- 'It shouldn't be us vs. them': Lehigh County police, communities of color both feel pain, have to work together for same goal, panel says (MorningCall: Oct. 6, 2020)
- Bethlehem's New Police Chief Michelle Kott
(MorningCall: Sept. 24, 2020)
- Mark Pinsley: Alternative 911 system may save money and lives
(Morning Call: July 26, 2020)
Also see these stories about CAHOOTS and other 911 alternatives.
- Bethlehem Police - 2019 Report on Use of Force
(PDF: 16-page detailed report, July 13, 2020)
- Video of Allentown police officer kneeling on man's neck: Woman who took it says she was shocked, and George FloydÕs attorney weighs in (MorningCall: July 12, 2020)
- Bethlehem residents pressure council for bold police reforms, including defunding the department (MorningCall, July 8, 2020)
- Bethlehem residents urge council to push for 'real' reforms, like defunding the police
(LehighValleyLive: July 8, 2020)
- Protests begin to call for 'defunding the police:' What does that mean in Allentown?
(WFMZ: July 8, 2020)
- Lt. Gov. Fetterman: Pennsylvania police reform should focus on de-escalation
(MorningCall: July 8, 2020)
- Bethlehem Creates a Community Advisory Board
(WLVT: July 6, 2020)
- Allentown Police Department releases full use-of-force policy
(Morning Call: July 2, 2020)
- APD Use of Force Policy
(Posted July 2, 2020)
- Police reimagined: The future of public safety Four-part series of half-hour podcasts.
(WHYY: June-July 2020 - interviews with Chris Norris)
- Bethlehem releases police department's use-of-force policy, Allentown's expected soon (WFMZ: June 16, 2020)
- Movement afoot to reform Allentown, Bethlehem police departments, make use-of-force policies public (Morning Call: June 17, 2020)
- Bethlehem Police - Use of Force Policy
(PDF - posted June 17, 2020)
- Allentown Police Chief speaks on protests and police reform (WLVR interview with Chief Glen Granitz, Part 1: June 15, 2020)
- Allentown Police Chief speaks on protests and police reform (WLVR interview with Chief Glen Granitz, Part 2: June 16, 2020)
- Movement afoot to reform Allentown, Bethlehem police departments, make use-of-force policies public (MorningCall: June 13, 2020)
- Firing bad cops is harder in Pennsylvania because of a law that ties the courts' hands (MorningCall: June 14, 2020)
Also, see what else is happening in other states.
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Police Reform - U.S./International:
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For other resources, see POWER Lehigh Valley - End Mass Incarceration
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