Members of the Philadelphia Police Academy Class #395 take the oath to become officers in Philadelphia, Friday, April 8, 2022.
Recently, the city of Philadelphia announced a two-year police contract that delivers a range of tangible benefits for officers—including a 3% raise in each year, a $3,000 one-time bonus, enhanced sick and wellness days, and increased civilianization of non-law enforcement tasks—totaling $343 million over five years.
However, in a decisive setback for police oversight advocates, arbitrators declined to expand the powers of the Citizens Police Oversight Commission (CPOC), leaving it unable to conduct independent investigations into officer misconduct.
CPOC executive director Tonya McClary, who recently took the helm after a tenure in Dallas, condemned the decision, stating that the commission “spoke with one voice alongside the community” yet was denied the authority it was established to execute.
"We provided testimony from national law enforcement experts about CPOC’s ability to conduct independent investigations," McClary said. "Despite all of that, we were not awarded the opportunity to do so. Philadelphia still needs and wants independent investigations that are fair, thorough, and unbiased.”
Councilmember Curtis Jones also weighed in, expressing disappointment in this outcome.
“I am disappointed that the contract participants did not have the foresight to see that the powers of independent investigations by CPOC protect citizens as well as our uniformed officers. We will not be deterred from fair evaluations of the citizens’ complaints. CPOC will have to be creative in providing well informed investigations.”
Despite this setback, CPOC plans to expand its staff—including adding investigators, a staff attorney, and a data coordinator, all while lacking any investigative caseload.
Critics say the ruling puts independent oversight in Philadelphia on life support, dismantling key reforms that the public endorsed via referendum in 2020.
Meanwhile, arbitration reformers point to ongoing issues with reinstating fired officers and unchecked arbitration power, citing cases like Lt. Marc Hayes’ reinstatement to underscore the pressing need for an empowered CPOC to restore public trust.
