Skip to content
Link copied to clipboard

Could Philly dismantle its police? | Morning Newsletter

Plus, N.J. lifts its stay-at-home order.

Protesters marched from the Eastern State Penitentiary to the Philadelphia Police Headquarters and into Center City, Philadelphia, Pa. on Sunday, June 7, 2020. The “Free People Strike” is hosted by Philly for REAL Justice, Human Rights Coalition PA, Black Lives Matter Philly, and Coalition to Abolish Death By Incarceration, according to a Facebook page for the event. Hundreds of people gathered to call for the release of people in prisons.
Protesters marched from the Eastern State Penitentiary to the Philadelphia Police Headquarters and into Center City, Philadelphia, Pa. on Sunday, June 7, 2020. The “Free People Strike” is hosted by Philly for REAL Justice, Human Rights Coalition PA, Black Lives Matter Philly, and Coalition to Abolish Death By Incarceration, according to a Facebook page for the event. Hundreds of people gathered to call for the release of people in prisons.Read moreMONICA HERNDON / Staff Photographer

    The Morning Newsletter

    Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter

The stay-at-home order in New Jersey has been lifted, and the state has relaxed some of its restrictions on indoor and outdoor gatherings. In Philadelphia, Mayor Jim Kenney announced some broad goals for police reforms, but some want him to go farther. One city where the police department was actually disbanded was in Camden. But there are some questions about whether Camden’s move could be used as a model for other cities.

— Josh Rosenblat (@joshrosenblat, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

Mayor Kenney said yesterday that he would eliminate a proposed $19 million increase to Philadelphia’s Police Department budget for the next fiscal year. That increase had drawn criticism from both activists and Council members as other city departments faced cuts because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Kenney’s proposals came after Council members Monday asked for 15 police reforms. The mayor released a broad set of goals for how and when officers use their guns, how they are disciplined, and how much civilian oversight there is.

Some, though, want the city to go further and completely dismantle the police department in Philadelphia for a new public safety system. Is that realistic?

Camden was once known as the nation’s poorest and most dangerous city. Police brutality sparked riots in the ’60s and ’70s. But, in recent years, the small city has drawn national attention for its policing because, in 2013, Camden dismantled its city police in favor of a county-run force. New officers were hired and trained. And violent crime has dropped.

Now, as cities consider police reforms — including Philadelphia and Minneapolis, where George Floyd was killed by a police officer and the city council pledged to disband the police department — experts and others have pointed to Camden. Some residents, though, caution against using their city’s unique story as a model.

"With more and more of our businesses reopening, we are no longer asking you to stay at home,” Gov. Phil Murphy said, “but we are asking you to continue to be responsible and safe.” New Jersey also is relaxing restrictions on both indoor and outdoor gatherings.

If the loosening coronavirus-related restrictions are making you anxious, here are some tips to help, according to experts. Philly just entered Pennsylvania’s “yellow” stage of coronavirus restrictions. So, how far are we away from the “green” phase?

What you need to know today

  1. Coronavirus cases and deaths are down sharply in Pennsylvania nursing homes. After thousands of deaths since March, the state has finally mandated universal testing in nursing homes. But those tests don’t have to be completed for more than a month.

  2. Philadelphia’s municipal sanitation workers, who are predominantly black, rallied yesterday morning to advocate for better personal protective equipment, hazard pay, and coronavirus testing, shining a light on the intersection of workers’ rights and the Black Lives Matter movement.

  3. A World Health Organization epidemiologist this week said that people without COVID-19 symptoms rarely spread the virus. That statement contradicted numerous studies and her statement drew immediate pushback from other public-health experts.

  4. Here’s the full criminal complaint charging Philly Police Inspector Joseph Bologna Jr. with assaulting a protester. Bologna has been suspended “with intent to dismiss," Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw announced.

  5. Tens of thousands of Pennsylvania mail ballots missed the deadline. November’s election could be even worse.

  6. A woman who ran over a Philly police officer with her car during a looting episode has been charged with attempted murder, District Attorney Larry Krasner said.

Through your eyes | #OurPhilly

Thanks for sharing this shot of the skyline at sunset, @shot_by_jm.

Tag your Instagram posts or tweets with #OurPhilly and we’ll pick our favorite each day to feature in this newsletter and give you a shout out!

That’s interesting

  1. 🖼️The loss of the Philadelphia Cultural Fund due to Mayor Kenney’s revised 2021 budget proposal would hit arts organizations — and Philly neighborhoods — hard.

  2. 🏀Temple legend John Chaney sees a ray of hope in the recent protests.

  3. 🐦The chef and co-owner of a popular and acclaimed Queen Village restaurant is leaving after former staff denounced “his anti-black rhetoric.”

  4. 🏒When the NHL restarts, Flyers coach Alain Vigneault has some big lineup decisions he’ll have to make.

  5. 🗺️Colleges are canceling study abroad programs.

  6. ⚕️Penn Med students have created a new student magazine. But it doesn’t just focus on the sciences.

Opinions

“The moment to take a knee — especially for people in positions of power — would have been when former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick was blackballed for trying to bring attention to police brutality and racial injustice in 2016. Or, you know, any time before and since because he was hardly the first to protest this country’s inequities. Don’t take a knee. Do your jobs, which to recap, is to protect the communities you are sworn to serve.— writes columnist Helen Ubiñas about why now is the time for people with power to take a stand, not a knee, against police brutality.

  1. The recent protests across the nation — and the world — have made columnist Will Bunch reconsider whether “the Resistance” was wrong to focus on Trump.

  2. Getting teargassed didn’t stop Shakira King, a native Philadelphian, organizer, educator, and project manager for Noname’s Bookclub, who protested in West Philly. King writes about why these recent protests have been a long time coming.

What we’re reading

  1. WHYY reported on how the coronavirus pandemic has impacted private medical practices.

  2. A Philly doctor wrote for Billy Penn about treating people who protested after they were tear-gassed and shot by rubber bullets.

  3. Police have been spying on black reporters and activists for years, Wendi C. Thomas writes for ProPublica.

Your Daily Dose of | 2020 Grads

Roughly 13,000 Philadelphia high school grads had a virtual ceremony yesterday that was unlike the one that any could have predicted when they started their school years late last summer. From their own homes, the newly minted grads watched speeches, student performances, and cameos from Jill Scott, Black Thought, and Malcolm Jenkins.

We want to share the stories of the Class of 2020. If you’re a Philly-area high school senior or family member of one, send us your grad photos and videos here.