Highlights from the DOJ’s Review of Philly Police

Yesterday the U.S. Department of Justice released its report on the Philadelphia Police Department’s handling of officer-involved shootings. The 173-page document details a variety of reforms the department could make to improve relations with the community. A few highlights of the recommendations include

• The police department needs to create a unified and specific deadly-force directive rather than relying on the I.D.K. doctrine.
• Officers need to be trained to use Tasers and pepper spray rather than relegating the tools to the “bad-ass fashion accessories” category.
• The department’s current “steamy shower mirror” level of transparency needs to be improved to at least “quickly wiped it with my damp towel” levels.
• For investigating officer-involved shootings, the department needs to form a team staffed by humans rather than kangaroos.
• Police disciplinary action ought to be increased from a wag of the finger to a slap on the wrist.

Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey plans to meet with the executive director of the Advisory Commission soon. After that he expects it will only take a few centuries of bureaucratic restructuring before the commission’s suggestions begin to be implemented.