Philadelphians have been waiting nearly 3 years for unarmed traffic enforcement. That’s too long. | Editorial

In May 2019, Philadelphia voters approved a plan to establish a new class of public safety officers who would be unarmed and whose duties would be dedicated to traffic enforcement with the goal of reducing traffic violations and pedestrian deaths. Nearly three years later, we still have yet to see them deployed.

And it’s not like the city couldn’t use them. In 2019, 83 people were killed in city traffic crashes. In 2020, that number nearly doubled, to 156. Last year offered little reprieve, with 133 fatalities, according to the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia.

Besides winning the approval of voters, the public safety officers have cleared a few significant administrative hurdles — the positions are already accounted for in the new budget, with $1.25 million allocated in the current fiscal year to fill the first round of hiring. They have also been endorsed by Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw.

So what is the holdup?

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Apparently, according to city officials, a grievance filed by the influential police union, Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5. Those who have been briefed on the grievance say the FOP and its president, John McNesby, maintain that the creation of the new positions is a violation of its collective bargaining agreement with the city and should not exist.

The union’s opposition to the new officers is hardly the only way its views on public policy seem to be out of step with the rest of the city. The union, a formidable political power that has used its influence to stifle reforms, has consistently fought to rehire officers accused of abuse and serious misconduct. It also has an active lawsuit seeking to block the implementation of Councilmember Isaiah Thomas’ Driving Equality Bill, which is intended to deter pretextual traffic stops and doesn’t apply to the dangerous moving violations that cause so many traffic deaths. Beyond its disagreement with voters, the union’s posture is also counter to that of Outlaw, who maintains that the positions would be a complement, not a replacement, for the city’s police force.

And the department could certainly use the help. Traffic volume is on the rise and episodes of reckless driving are also seeing an increase. Although the proposal calls for the hiring of 28 officers, that is unlikely to be sufficient to meet the daunting challenge ahead. The city could still use another tool in its effort to eliminate pedestrian deaths.

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It is by no means assured that the FOP’s grievance, which officials said has not yet been scheduled for a hearing by an arbitrator, would be granted. Council President Darrell L. Clarke, the public safety officer plan’s sponsor and most persistent booster, convened a series of hearings about the plan during which many of the potential legal obstacles were discussed. Clarke’s colleagues on Council overwhelmingly approved the proposal for the new officers.

It is long past time for the administration of Mayor Jim Kenney to bring this issue to a head. After nearly three years, a compromise or legal resolution should already have been established and these officers deployed. The safety of our city’s pedestrians deserves nothing less.