Police Practices

Police

For years, grassroots activists have called for divesting in the police, and the ACLU of Pennsylvania is adding our voice to their effort. Time and time again, we have witnessed communities calling for police reform and accountability. And time and time again, we have seen our public officials fall short on delivering their promise for a more transparent, just, and trusted partnership between police and the people they serve. Led by the Movement for Black Lives and local Black-led partners, divesting in police means reinvesting in communities that have been targeted by law enforcement. And it means an end to enforcement of petty, low-level offenses, ending unnecessary interactions between police and the people.

Divesting in the police is not a call for police abolition – it is a call to shrink the scope of police responsibilities. Police wear too many hats within our communities, and some of their responsibilities should be shifted to entities better equipped to tackle the respective need. Communities need more crime prevention programs and resources rather than punitive responses after crime occurs. We can reallocate a large portion of police funds to mental health services, housing, education, and violence interruption programs. With fewer jobs to do, police can do their jobs better, and Black and Brown communities can receive attention in the areas that have been traditionally neglected.

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Know Your Rights
Know Your Rights With the Police and Immigration Agents:

Know Your Rights With the Police and Immigration Agents

Be prepared if you have an interaction with police or federal immigration agents.
Know Your Rights
Know Your Rights With the Police and Immigration Agents:

CONOZCA SUS DERECHOS ANTE LA POLICÍA Y LOS AGENTES DE INMIGRACIÓN

Podcast
capitol dome

Capitol Complex

The Pennsylvania General Assembly recently wrapped up its work on the new state budget. Elizabeth Randol, ACLU-PA’s legislative director, talks about all that has happened in this session around civil liberties.
Press Release
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ACLU-PA Releases Policy Paper About Illegal Use of Stop-and-Frisk in Philadelphia 

The ACLU of Pennsylvania has released Wasted Resources: The failures of stop-and-frisk in Philadelphia, a policy paper examining the illegal use of stop-and-frisk in Philadelphia over the past 15 years. 
Court Case
Dec 04, 2023

Thompkins, et al v. City of McKeesport Police Department, et al

The American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania has filed a lawsuit in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas against the city of McKeesport, Allegheny County, and numerous named and unnamed police officers regarding the violation Fourth Amendment rights during a December 2020 police search.
Court Case
Feb 20, 2020

Joaquin Marte v. Oliver et al.

On February 12, 2020, the ACLU of Pennsylvania and volunteer attorneys filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the borough of Jim Thorpe, Carbon County, and two borough police officers over a traffic stop that occurred in February 2018.
Court Case
Jun 27, 2019

Marquez et al. v. Commonwealth et al.

Court Case
Sep 18, 2018

Police harassing anti-war protestors