Mayor Kenney and Commissioner Ross Issue Joint Statement on Gov. Wolf’s Decision to Veto House Bill 1538

PHILADELPHIA— Mayor Jim Kenney and Police Commissioner Richard Ross have issued the following joint statement in support of Gov. Tom Wolf’s decision to veto House Bill 1538, which would prohibit releasing the name of a police officer who discharged their weapon or used force that resulted in death or serious injury until the completion of an official investigation.

“We support the Governor’s decision to veto this legislation. It is not Harrisburg’s role to run Philadelphia’s police department. The City’s policy of releasing names within 72 hours unless the officer or their family are in danger was adapted to improve community relations in accordance with a directive from the White House. There is no evidenced-based reason to go backwards.”