Philadelphia\u2019s Sheriff\u2019s Office is taking stock to end the year.\u00a0<\/p>\n
On Wednesday morning at the Laborers District Council training center in Philadelphia, Philadelphia Sheriff Rochelle Bilal released a two-year report detailing her office\u2019s efforts to increase transparency around its operations and engage with the community.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOver the last two years, our deputies, professional staff and leadership team have worked relentlessly to protect public safety, modernize our operation and strengthen trust within the communities we\u2019re sought to serve,\u201d Bilal said Wednesday. \u201cThis report is more than a collection of statistics; it is a story of progress, resilience, accountability and results.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Sheriff\u2019s Office, tasked with providing court security and prisoner transport, as well as conducting real estate auctions and civil process paperwork, has long been associated with a history of mismanagement and a lack of oversight. By committing to producing annual public reports each December, Bilal hopes to provide Philadelphians with a clearer picture of what her office does and how it does it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Since taking over city eviction duties in August 2024, Bilal said, her office has expanded its capacity from approximately 25 weekly actions to about 144. The move, which came after a series of high-profile shootings involving armed contractors hired by the Landlord and Tenant Office, a private outfit led by a court-appointed attorney, resulted in the LTO being shut down and evictions becoming the sole purview of the sheriff\u2019s office.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cPublic safety is not a talking point. For me, it is a responsibility,\u201d she noted. \u201cOur Civil Division served more than 15,000 eviction actions \u2026 and no one got shot.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re showing that internally, we are making the progress. We are changing the narrative and moving this organization forward,\u201d Bilal added.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bilal, who was\u00a0 joined by other elected officials, including District Attorney Larry Krasner, state Sen. Sharif Street and state Rep. Danilo Burgos, noted that, with the help of the Philly Fugitives priority list, her office increased fugitive apprehensions by 75% over the past two years, as well as helping to remove more than 300 firearms off the streets through task force operations.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She added that the office is modernizing its operations and looks forward to developing a new Sheriff\u2019s Training Academy and adopting new technologies, including drones.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Krasner, who commended Bilal\u2019s efforts and cooperation with his office, said self-evaluation and public engagement are important in law enforcement.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is the time to take stock of how things are going. It\u2019s time to have resolutions and goals in the next year,\u201d Krasner said Wednesday. Noting that the Sheriff\u2019s Office has been \u201cchronically underfunded,\u201d he added: \u201cI know that the sheriff is doing absolutely everything she can to protect judges, to protect civilians, to protect everyone in that courtroom to make sure that it is moving efficiently.\u201d<\/p>\n