Board recommends review of why officers are reinstated
The Philadelphia Police Advisory Commission on Monday recommended that the city review why police officers fired from the department were frequently reinstated through arbitration.
The Philadelphia Police Advisory Commission on Monday recommended that the city review why police officers fired from the department were frequently reinstated through arbitration.
In 26 cases reviewed by the commission, officers were reinstated by arbitrators in 19 instances, according to the commission's annual report, made public Monday.
"Arbitrations involving Philadelphia police officers, particularly those fired for serious misconduct, have been a source of frustration and public scrutiny for more than three decades," the report states. The 74-page report did not say why the 26 cases were selected.
Kelvyn Anderson, the commission's executive director, said the call for reviewing the arbitration process was part of a broadening mission for the oversight panel.
The commission also called for leveraging state certifications of police officers as a tool to improve the disciplinary process. For example, in some states officers convicted of a felony automatically lose certification, Anderson said. That is not the case in Pennsylvania.
However, SEPTA Transit Police Chief Thomas J. Nestel 3d cited state code that identifies a "disqualifying criminal offense" as one for which more than one year in prison can be imposed. The disqualification is not automatic. The code states that the Municipal Police Officers Education and Training Commission "maintains the right to revoke certification after notice and an opportunity to be heard."