The ACLU of Pennsylvania and the law firm of Kairys, Rudovsky, Messing & Feinberg filed a federal class action on November 4, 2010, on behalf of eight African-American and Latino men who were stopped by Philadelphia police officers solely on the basis of their race or ethnicity. The suit alleges that thousands of people each year are illegally stopped, frisked, searched, and detained by the Philadelphia Police Department as part of its stop-and-frisk policy.
On June 21, 2011, the city of Philadelphia and the ACLU announced that they had reached a settlement agreement. As part of the settlement, the Philadelphia Police Department will collect data on all stop and frisks and store this information in an electronic data base. It will also provide officers with necessary training and supervision with respect to stop and frisk practices. Additionally the agreement establishes a monitoring system in which the police department, plaintiffs' counsel, and an independent court-appointed monitor, Dean JoAnne A. Epps, from the Beasley School of Law at Temple University, will review and analyze the data. Dean Epps will have the authority to recommend appropriate practices and policies to ensure that stops and frisks by the PPD are in compliance with the Constitution.
Press Releases
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Police District in Northwest Philadelphia Launches Pilot Program of New Approach to Stop-and-Frisk - 7/28/21
- ACLU-PA and Civil Rights Lawyers ask Court to Prohibit Unnecessary “Quality of Life” Police Stops in Philadelphia- 3/18/21
- Latest Court Filing Shows Race Still Plays a Role in Stops and Frisks by Police in Philadelphia- 11/27/18
- After Seven Years, Report Shows Philadelphia Police Continue to Illegally Stop and Frisk Pedestrians- 11/20/18
- Analysis of Philadelphia Police Stop-and-Frisk Data Shows Illegal Stops Continue With Limited Progress- 01/08/18
- Racial Analysis Suggests Philly Police Still Stop Pedestrians Based on Race- 05/23/17
- Latest Stop-and-Frisk Data Shows Modest Improvement by Philadelphia Police, but Much More is Needed, Say Civil Rights Lawyers- 05/02/17
- Civil Rights Lawyers Issue Ultimatum to Kenney Administration to Fix Stop-and-Frisk Practices- 03/22/16
- Philadelphia Police Continue to Stop Tens of Thousands Illegally- 02/24/15
- Civil Rights Groups Say Problems Persist With Philadelphia Police Department's Stop-And-Frisk Practices- 03/19/13
- ACLU-PA Reaches Agreement With City of Philadelphia In Stop-And-Frisk Challenge- 06/21/11
- ACLU-PA And Civil Rights Firm File Class Action Lawsuit Against Philadelphia Police Department For Racial Profiling- 11/04/10
