PHILADELPHIA – FOP Lodge #5 has asked the Department of Justice to investigate the city’s promotional practices within the Philadelphia Police Department and Sheriff’s Office.

What we know:

President Roosevelt Poplar said the union has received an increasing number of complaints from members who “believe they have been unlawfully passed over for promotion under the city’s current promotional practices.”

Many of these complaints, the union says, have come from officers who believe that they have been overlooked for promotions in favor of less qualified candidates based on race, gender, or other protected characteristics. 

They claim the city and its law enforcement departments are improperly incorporating DEI initiatives, which they say violate federal nondiscrimination laws. 

What they’re saying:

FOP Lodge #5 called for fair and equal opportunities for officers, and argued that all promotional decisions be based on merit, qualifications, and objective standards.

“When discretionary systems such as the City’s current process are used to achieve unspoken diversity outcome, they undermine both the integrity of the promotional process and the confidence of the officers who serve the city,” Poplar said.

What’s next:

The union called on the Department of Justice to review Philadelphia’s law enforcement promotion policies to determine whether DEI or other non-merit-based criteria are influencing promotion outcomes in violation of federal law.

They are also striving to ensure that all promotional candidates are evaluated and advanced solely based on job-related qualifications and lawful standards.

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