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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2019 - 2020
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | November 5, 2020 08:13 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Christopher M. Rabb and Rep. Donna Bullock |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Ensuring greater transparency and accountability of police organizations |
| We have come to expect a higher level of accountability and transparency from our elected and appointed officials in all levels of government. And rightfully so. Good government measures are not just healthy for our democracy, they are necessary for civil society to maintain any semblance of collective trust in our public institutions. As such, we must also hold law enforcement to that same high standard given their position as public servants entrusted with badges, firearms, and the authority to arrest and detain people. In order to ensure greater transparency and accountability in law enforcement, we will be introducing legislation which would require police organizations who represent law enforcement officers to disclose key information before they are allowed to enter into collective bargaining negotiations. This forthcoming bill mandates that Municipal Police Officers Education and Training Commission (MPOETC) publish the annual reports on its website of police organizations which disclose, among other things: tax documents, major expenditures, liabilities, debts, government grants and campaign contributions as well as any conflicts of interest. Additionally, all such organizations must disclose demographic information of their respective members along with the demography of the municipalities or counties these entities serve. Last, these organizations must develop counseling programs to help prevent future complaints against its members while also identifying problematic behavior of members against whom formal complaints have been filed within the past three years; who have been included on a disclosure report created by a district attorney for possible credibility issues involving law enforcement officers; who are applicants for a position in law enforcement for whom a hiring report has been filed under 44 Pa.C.S. § 7311, or who have signed confidentiality agreements in their capacity as law enforcement officers. We ask that you support this legislation and join us in working to bring more accountability and transparency to the organizations acting on behalf of police collective bargaining units. |
Introduced as HB2975