WHEREAS, The collective bargaining agreement between the City of Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Fraternal Order of Police was extended one year due to the economic impact of the Coronavirus pandemic; and
WHEREAS, The new expiration date for the agreement is June 30th, 2021. Prior to this expiration the administration will enter into negotiations with the Fraternal Order of the Police this fall, with an expected first offer to be made by December; and
WHEREAS, This collective bargaining agreement in integral to the operations of the Police department, and influences their code of conduct, accountability and transparency; and
WHEREAS, The murder of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor has caused widespread protests and demonstration against police brutality. On June 6th, 2020, thousands of Philadelphians took to the streets to make their voices heard, and have voiced their interest in the need for police reform and accountability; and
WHEREAS, Philadelphia Police Department expends a sixth of our annual operating budget, three quarters of a billion
dollars, and the last police reform report was completed in 2015, making it imperative that the City increase attention and oversight to the accountability of the police; and
WHEREAS, The inclusion of input outside the current paradigm, such as outside experts and community representatives, will allow for inclusive and innovative thinking and approaches that can help to strengthen the relationship between the Philadelphia Police Department and the community; and
WHEREAS, Council is prepared to hold hearings to gather community input on any collective bargaining agreement relating to law enforcement personnel to help inform the administrations formulation of any offer and to ensure the priorities of Philadelphian’s are considered; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, THAT THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, Hereby authorizes the Committee on Public Safety to hold hearings to examine the community’s priorities on the collective bargaining process for the Philadelphia Police Department.
End