PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — City Council’s public safety committee has approved a change in the way members of the Citizens Police Oversight Commission can be removed from their posts. The move comes after a commissioner was accused of leaking confidential information.
When Council created CPOC, three years ago, it gave itself the sole authority to remove a commissioner. Now, Council is poised to give commissioners the power to remove each other.
At a City Council hearing on Tuesday, Commissioner Rosaura Thomas testified that she is the bill’s target.
“I know the reason why this bill was brought to your attention was to remove me, but I’m standing strong,” she said.
Multiple sources said the bill was introduced because Thomas had sent confidential information to someone outside the commission, which Thomas seemed to confirm. She said she believes her fellow commissioners want to remove her because of her communication with the city’s inspector general.
She defended herself against the allegations and said she was trying to best represent citizens.
“I’m a bit nervous, but my confidential letter to the inspector general was released to the person that was being investigated,” she said.
However, this was not an investigation of a police misconduct complaint — the purpose for which the commission was created. Rather, the investigation involved a member of the commission’s own staff.
Council members expressed concern about the discord that has marked CPOC since the commissioners were chosen two years ago. In-fighting prompted three of them — ⅓ of the commission — to resign last year.
Councilmember Jim Harrity objected to what he perceived as an anti-police tone in flyers advertising a commission meeting in Kensington.
“It basically said, ‘Please come to the meeting. You will be safe. There will be no police.’ That is absolutely, positively the wrong message,” he said.
In the end, the committee approved the bill and said more changes could be coming to the Commission as it continues to find its footing. CPOC could get the power to remove fellow commissioners as early as next week.