Philadelphia police officers are now authorized by the commissioner to arrest people for burglary, theft, stolen auto and retail theft after protocols were changed in mid-March to not handcuff suspects but instead to issue citations.
The protocol changes come as the city faces a spike in theft-related crimes as warmer weather creeps in and some small businesses stay open.
Homicides have maintained a 12-year high through the stay-at-home order, with more than 120 people killed so far this year, and historically, warmer weather brings more crime.
Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said in a written statement, “Predictably, conditions have, in fact, evolved in dynamic fashion.”
In a written statement, Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5 President John McNesby said they understand “the need to pivot and begin to aggressively fight crime that is impacting all neighborhoods. Now, we only need cooperation from the District Attorney’s office to keep some of these repeat offenders locked up.”
Prostitution, fraud, vandalism and drug cases still remain citation-based for now.