The Citizens Police Oversight Commission (CPOC) is launching an inquiry into a pattern of police interactions referred to as “mere encounters,” following a series of complaints and internal case reviews that raise concerns about how civilians experience these encounters in Philadelphia.

CPOC receives daily complaints of police misconduct and routinely reviews completed investigations. Through this work, the agency saw a pattern: officers are approaching people and asking whether they have a gun, asking people to lift their shirt or asking if they will show what is inside their bags. Sometimes, officers pat down or search people.

Under the law, a “mere encounter” is an interaction between police and a civilian that is voluntary – the civilian should be free to leave and can decline to answer questions. Unlike a “stop,” it does not require the police to have reasonable suspicion, which means specific, articulable facts that would lead a reasonable officer to believe that a particular person is involved in criminal activity.

 

Case Reviews Highlight Concerns

A 25-year-old Black man riding a bike was stopped, questioned about a firearm, frisked, and had his backpack searched. The individual, who has PTSD, experienced a panic attack during the interaction and did not receive medical assistance.

A 36-year-old Black man was followed by officers, physically blocked from walking away, and subjected to a search of his clothing despite repeatedly stating he had no weapon and did not consent.

A mother reported that her son, a 13-year-old Black boy, was stopped by two officers on his way to the store. The officers asked the boy whether he had a gun and asked him to open his coat so they could view his waist. No record of this interaction could be found by Internal Affairs.

We found many cases like these, where the people were not committing any crimes or carrying a gun. They were not cited or arrested; they were not doing anything wrong.

“As our case reviews suggest, the racial justice implications of this practice are concerning, said CPOC Deputy Executive Director Ewuare Osayande. And they command our attention.”

Read our project announcement for more case details, impact statements, and citations.

 

Community Impact

Complainants consistently described these encounters as distressing, humiliating, and, in some cases, traumatizing. Several expressed a belief that they were targeted because of their race.

“These interactions may be brief, but their impact can be lasting,” said CPOC Executive Director Tonya McClary. “They affect not only the individuals involved, but also their families and broader community trust in law enforcement.”

A limited dataset reviewed by CPOC indicates that mere encounters account for roughly 6% of police incidents over a recent six-month period from December 2024 to June 2025, making them a significant category of police-civilian interaction. Correctly tagged and linked body-worn camera video is available for only about 21% of those interactions.

 

Next Steps

CPOC is launching an inquiry into mere encounters in Philadelphia, including:

  • Requesting data and body-worn camera video from the Philadelphia Police Department on encounters coded as “mere encounters.”
  • Gathering community experiences through surveys and community workshops. Community workshops will involve “Know your rights” training and group discussion.

The Commission plans to publish its findings when the project is complete.

 

Community Participation Encouraged

CPOC is inviting Philadelphians to share their experiences:

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