Election 2020
If Philly’s Police Ballot Measures Pass, Here’s What Could Happen
A new Police Oversight Commission could bring more accountability but the devil is in the details
Editor’s Note: This story will be updated as election results come in.
If there’s an issue that’s captured the national attention this election season, it’s the conversation around police violence and how to stop it. And while the White House is the prize that will get the most attention, local ballot initiatives designed to bring accountability to policing could immediately impact millions of people.
Two such initiatives are on the ballot in Philadelphia, where the death of Walter Wallace Jr. at the hands of police eight days before the election sparked days of protests. The first, Question 1, would require police to be able to prove that a crime was either being committed or in the process of being committed before they could legally stop and frisk someone. A second initiative would change the city’s charter to allow the creation of a permanent Citizens Police Oversight Commission. The new commission would replace Philly’s current Police Advisory Commission, created in 1993 by former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell when he was mayor of the city.
