Citizens Police Oversight Commission will only make policing appear accountable, without making any real changes

For decades, people have looked to civilian police oversight as a way to hold police accountable. New York, Pittsburgh, and over 60 other cities in the United States have civilian police oversight committees, yet we still see violence committed by officers daily. These review boards usually lack power, are biased towards or fall under the influence of police departments, and are unable to hold them accountable, which is the case with Philadelphia’s current Police Advisory Commission (PAC).

The current PAC can only offer advice about police practices, but has no ability to enforce those recommendations. Philadelphia residents have very little they can do if they have experienced police abuse or harassment and the PAC offers no help as they can’t take action against individual police officers. To increase accountability, Councilmember Curtis Jones, Jr. has proposed a bill to create a Citizens Police Oversight Commission (CPOC). Unlike the Police Advisory Commission, CPOC promises to have more power to investigate police wrongdoing and bring it to light. But this promise for more investigative powers and for more transparency within the Philadelphia Police Department does not mean more power for disciplinary actions against police. Police discipline and job termination is still tied to state law, Act 111, so Philadelphia still has almost no way to discipline or fire officers who commit crimes against community members. 

We believe that the Citizens Police Oversight Commission will only make policing appear accountable, without making any real changes, like we’ve seen all around the US. However, the CPOC bill has strong support from city officials and is likely to pass, so we are encouraging Philadelphians to testify and demand amendments to the bill that minimize the potential harm to our communities. 

On Monday, 5/17 at 10 AM, City Council is hosting a hearing where Philadelphians are invited to speak on what powers the new commission should have. We need to make sure they hear from those most affected by police violence and the lack of accountability. If you are interested in testifying, our team will support you through the process as we fight for real consequences for cops. Register here by 3 PM on Friday, 5/14.