Mayor announces oversight board to address police shootings

Mayor Nutter on Wednesday announced the creation of an independent oversight board to ensure that recommendations from a Justice Department report on Philadelphia police shootings are carried out.

The board will report to Nutter and will be chaired by JoAnne Epps, dean of Temple University's law school.

Nutter said the names of other members would be coming shortly and would include members of the community. He said he would invite the Fraternal Order of Police and the Police Advisory Commission to be a part of it.

He said the board will be charged with reviewing the recommendations, "developing a realistic approach to a timeline for implementation," and making sure those changes are put in place.

The Justice Department report, released Monday, found "significant strife" between Philadelphia police officers and the communities they serve, and outlined 91 recommendations for reform.

"It is clear that changes need to be made with regard to lethal force and the use of force," Nutter said, calling the report an important road map for the department. He called for an end to "any idea or notion of an us-vs.-them mentality" between police and community members.

But the number of officer-involved shootings in the city reinforces "the opposite of that notion," he said.

The DOJ report noted that between 2007 and 2014, police shot at suspects 390 times. Police Department records show 96 of those suspects were killed.

Recommendations included overhauling officer training programs, specifying directives on the use of deadly force, and streamlining disciplinary systems. The report also recommended increased transparency - especially regarding data on shootings requested by the civilian Police Advisory Commission.

He said the department's relationship with the commission "may not be lovey-dovey every day," but "both sides" must commit to working together.

Nutter said the PAC would receive increased funding in the city's 2016 budget, and that funding has also been set aside for more training for police, Tasers, and body cameras.