Yesterday, he stood beside Mayor Nutter and other city officials to announce a settlement in the federal lawsuit filed in November over the "stop and frisk" policy. The mayor also signed two executive orders that will change the way the Police Department conducts investigative stops.
"Today is a good day for everybody in Philadelphia, not just African-American males," Bailey said. "Being proactive is very important."
The city has agreed to several procedural changes, including a review of current training procedures, distribution of definition cards explaining standards for investigatory stops, and the establishment of an electronic database of stop reports.
Also, JoAnne Epps dean of Temple's Beasley School of Law, was named an independent outside auditor who will analyze audits and make recommendations directly to U.S. District Judge Stewart Dalzell, who approved the settlement.
"Law enforcement in an urban environment demands a close working relationship between the police, the community and the citizens, the people who we work for," Nutter said. "The heart of that contract between the citizens and police is trust."
Seven of the eight plaintiffs in the case - all black and Latino men, represented by the law firm of Kairys, Rudovsky, Messing & Feinberg - will receive a total of $115,000 as part of the settlement. State Rep. Jewell Williams, a plaintiff who won the May Democratic primary for sheriff, will not receive any money.
Nutter's executive orders included the establishment of an electronic database where all pedestrian investigation reports can be entered and another that updates the processing of complaints alleging police misconduct. Verbal complaints will also be addressed immediately and inspectors will talk to the officer after the first complaint.
