Philadelphia city councilman pushes for police reform, including formation of oversight commission

PHILADELPHIA - The pressure is building to fundamentally change how Philadelphia police are disciplined. The calls for reform are coming from the public angry about officer violence of a culture of silence.

One of the reform measures is the formation of a new Citizens Police Oversight Commission, a panel with subpoena power and financial punch to oversee police actions and press for punishment or reform.

The commission is being pushed by veteran City Councilman Curtis Jones, Jr., who says voters must approve the panel at the polls in November. He argues rogue cops must know there’s a price to pay.

"You should not have civil service to the point where I can do anything and come back to work the next day without fear of reporting it to the public which I serve," Jones said.

READ MORE: Philadelphia city council proposes legislation on police reform, including ban on chokeholds

Philadelphia already has an overseer of police called the Police Advisory Commission. With a staff of 7 and a half million dollar budget, it looks at police practices and offers recommendations for change.

"There is an argument that says that we have a PAC why not fully fund it, fully resource it, and give it more independence," Hans Menos said.

Under the Citizens Oversight Commission, the advisory panel would go away, with the goal of improving city policing.

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