PRINTER'S NO. 2686
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No.
625
Session of
2015
INTRODUCED BY SIMS, COHEN, BISHOP, CALTAGIRONE, VEREB, ROZZI,
BIZZARRO, J. HARRIS, HENNESSEY, READSHAW, V. BROWN, O'BRIEN,
MILLARD, YOUNGBLOOD, SCHWEYER, DiGIROLAMO, KINSEY, THOMAS,
D. PARKER, MAHONEY, DRISCOLL, ROSS, DONATUCCI, BULLOCK,
REGAN, EVERETT AND MCCLINTON, DECEMBER 19, 2015
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
DECEMBER 19, 2015
A RESOLUTION
Honoring Philadelphia Police Deputy Commissioner Kevin J. Bethel
for his years of devoted service to Pennsylvania and
congratulating him on his retirement.
WHEREAS, Kevin J. Bethel is a Deputy Commissioner in charge
of patrol operations for the Philadelphia Police Department, the
fourth largest police department in the nation with 6,600 sworn
personnel; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Bethel oversees 21 Patrol Districts, the
Neighborhood Services Unit, the Philadelphia School District
Police, the Police Athletic League and the Community Relations
Unit; and
WHEREAS, Since Mr. Bethel completed the Police Academy in
1986, his assignments have included positions with the Patrol
Bureau, Special Investigative Bureau, Narcotics Strike Force,
Narcotics Field Unit, Narcotics Intelligence Investigative Unit
and Internal Affairs Division; and
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WHEREAS, Prior to his appointment to the position of Deputy
Commissioner in 2012, Mr. Bethel served as Commanding Officer of
the 17th Police District; and
WHEREAS, Upon his promotion, Mr. Bethel requested the
position of LGBT liaison, which he performed with distinction,
listening to the concerns of the community and implementing
Directive 152, which set guidelines for proper police
interaction with transgender and gender-nonconforming
individuals; and
WHEREAS, In 2008, Mr. Bethel received the Philadelphia Daily
News Fencl Award, which is bestowed upon a police officer who
brings a unique blend of courage, integrity and determination to
the job; and
WHEREAS, Among his many responsibilities, Mr. Bethel has
recently taken a leadership role in the juvenile justice field
by serving on the National Academy of Sciences Committee on Law
and Justice, which was charged with assessing and prioritizing
strategies and policies to effectively reform the juvenile
justice system; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Bethel regularly lectures on school diversion
programs and racial and ethnic disparities at the Center for
Juvenile Justice Reform at Georgetown University, in
collaboration with the Center for Juvenile Law and Policy; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Bethel participates as a faculty member for the
International Association of Chiefs of Police Juvenile Justice
Leadership Institute, which annually hosts 30 law enforcement
executives across the nation and which offers participating law
enforcement executives the tools to improve their agencies'
response to juvenile offenders and at-risk youth and to engage
in effective collaboration on juvenile justice reform in their
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communities; and
WHEREAS, On February 13, 2015, Mr. Bethel testified before
the President's 21st Century Task Force, co-chaired by Police
Commissioner Charles Ramsey, and briefed the committee on the
need for a concerted effort by law enforcement leaders to
address the school-to-prison pipeline across the nation, in
order to ensure a bright and more hopeful future for young
people across this country; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Bethel will retire in January 2016 after 29
years of service to become the first Diana A. Millner Youth
Justice Fellow at the Stoneleigh Foundation, which was founded
in order to improve the life outcomes of Greater Philadelphia's
most vulnerable youth; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives honor
Philadelphia Police Deputy Commissioner Kevin J. Bethel for his
years of devoted service to Pennsylvania and congratulate him on
his retirement; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be transmitted to
Philadelphia Police Deputy Commissioner Kevin J. Bethel.
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