PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The Philadelphia Police Department has won the right to hire civilians to do a number of jobs currently held by sworn officers, a move that city officials say will improve public safety.
An arbitration panel approved “civilianizing” jobs, thus allowing the police department to redeploy officers to patrols and other assignments that have a more direct impact on public safety. Those civilianized jobs include:
- Traffic enforcement
- Abandoned vehicle removal
- Body-worn camera technician
- Mail delivery
- Graphics and audio-visual design
- Crime scene unit investigator
- Firearms examiner
- Document and digital evidence examiners
It is welcome news to a department struggling with a shortage of uniformed officers.
City Council President Darrell Clarke has been advocating for such a change for four years.
“Finally, I’m excited that we’ll be in a position — based on this arbitration award — to put more police on the street to fight serious crime,” said Clarke.
“The arbitration award will give us a real opportunity to create a safer environment while doing some of those duties that, frankly speaking, should not be done by sworn officers who went through the Academy to learn how to fight crime.”
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Clarke said traffic enforcement, for instance, should take half the training time and will pay less, saving the city money. Voters approved the creation of such jobs in 2019, but the change had to be arbitrated with the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 5.
Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw and Mayor Jim Kenney also praised the award.
“This award represents a major step forward as we work to enhance public safety, as it will improve our ability to keep Philadelphians safe by strategically deploying civilians to support the department’s work while allowing police officers to focus on critical law enforcement tasks,” said Kenney.
“In addition, this award gives us new tools to recruit and retain uniformed personnel. It gives us expanded capacity to support traffic safety and enforcement and expedite abandoned vehicle enforcement.”
“Not only does the city realize a cost-savings benefit, but it also allows officers to be reassigned to roles within the department where their skills, experience, and law enforcement powers can be more effectively utilized,” said Outlaw.
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“Plainly put, civilianization puts more ‘boots-on-the-ground’, which is exactly what this department needs in order to better serve our communities.”
Even FOP President John McNesby was pleased with the outcome, because it includes a $3,400 retention bonus for current officers and a $2,000 signing bonus for new ones.
“It does a lot to attract officers to Philadelphia. People wanting to be police officers, it puts some money in their pocket,” McNesby said.
“It gives them $3,400 over the next six months to keep them here, and the city got what they want — the public safety officers — so I think it works for both sides.”
Clarke says he expects the city to start hiring in early 2023.