Philadelphia Police Brutality Lawyers: 21st Century Policing Report

In December 2014, President Barack Obama created a Task Force on 21^st Century Policing to determine and promote best practices and offer recommendations on how policing can promote effective crime reduction while building public trust. The final report was released last May.

The City of Philadelphia will use the entire set of 59 recommendations from the report of the President’s Task Force on 21^st Century Policing as a guide for self-assessment and organizational improvement. The Task Force report promotes building trust and legitimacy as the foundation for 21^st Century policing. The report directs officers to view themselves as “guardians” instead of “warriors” and suggests that Community Policing procedures be adopted. Community Policing is a strategy of policing that focuses on building ties between police and the community they serve by focusing on the common interest of keeping neighborhoods safe for everyone. In doing so, police learn about and better understand the members of the communities they are patrolling as well as the challenges those people face each day.

Likewise, the citizens better understand and get to know the officers responsible for their safety as well as the challenges the officers face as they perform their job. By working together and sharing responsibility for the neighborhood, everyone benefits. Community policing has been shown to reduce incidents of police brutality in communities where it is practiced. In addition to promoting Community Policing, many of the Task Force’s 59 recommendations deal with changes to use of force policies for officers and procedures for investigating police misconduct as well as additional training on de-escalating tactics to ensure fair and impartial policing.

The Task Force report is organized according to the following five categories:

1. Building Trust & Legitimacy: Promoting trust and ensuring legitimacy through procedural justice, transparency, accountability, and honest recognition of past and present obstacles.
2. Policy & Oversight: Developing comprehensive and responsive policies on key topics while also implementing formal checks and balances, and data collection and analysis.
3. Technology & Social Media: Balancing the embrace of technology and digital communications with local needs, privacy, assessments, and monitoring.
4. Community Policing & Crime Reduction: Encouraging the implementation of policies that support community-based partnerships in the reduction of crime.
5. Training & Education: Emphasizing the importance of high quality and effective training and education through partnerships with local and national training facilities.

While these changes are welcome and supported by citizens of Philadelphia, it is important for people to maintain an understanding of acceptable police conduct. If police mishandle an investigation or use excessive force on a suspect, it is imperative for everyone involved to retain a skilled police brutality lawyer to ensure your rights are protected and that justice is served.

Philadelphia Police Brutality Lawyers at the Law Offices of Patrick G. Geckle, LLC Help Victims of Police Misconduct Seek Justice

If you, a loved one or someone you know has been a victim of police brutality, call our team of seasoned and knowledgeable Philadelphia police misconduct lawyers at the Law Offices of Patrick G. Geckle, LLC. We represent victims of police misconduct and police brutality throughout Philadelphia County, Delaware County, Montgomery County, Bucks County and Chester County. Call us at 215-735-3326 to go over the facts of your case or contact us online.