PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philadelphia police officials are going to Harrisburg Tuesday to try to retain their accreditation from the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association, which has threatened to revoke the department’s accreditation over the city’s Driving Equality Law.
The Driving Equality Law downgrades certain violations, like expired inspections or a single broken tail light, in order to reduce car stops that unfairly target Black and Hispanic drivers.
For about 20 years, the state Chiefs of Police Association has accredited departments through the Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission (PLEAC).
About 10 years ago, Philadelphia joined the program and has been in good standing ever since. But after Mayor Jim Kenney signed the Driving Equality Law last year, PLEAC wrote the police department saying the law stops officers from enforcing eight sections of the Motor Vehicle Code, and so it would revoke its accreditation.
Those eight sections include:
• Late registration
• Relocation of temporary registration
• Relocation of license plate
• Missing a single brake light
• Items hanging from the rearview mirror
• Minor bumper issues
• Driving with an expired inspection sticker
• Driving with an expired emission sticker
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The police department argues PLEAC is wrong — the law downgrades minor offenses to reduce the number of car stops, but it doesn’t prohibit enforcement. The department says the new law is an effort to improve public trust, and police will observe it, but that should not affect accreditation.
The police union sued to stop the Driving Equality Law back in February, and state legislators tried to tie it to a bill easing the creation of bike lanes. Both Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, which has a similar law, have been targeted.
The sponsor of Philadelphia’s law, Councilmember Isaiah Thomas, declined to comment on those efforts but disputed the argument that the Driving Equality Law stops police from enforcing state law.
“We haven’t done anything to change the Motor Vehicle Code,” Thomas said. “It’s still enforced by the Philadelphia Police Department.”
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The police department will make its case to PLEAC on Tuesday before members vote on revoking Philadelphia’s accreditation.
However, there are no real consequences if it does. Accreditation is mostly an honorary designation, like the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval.