By Jack Tomczuk<\/p>\n
A draft version of the Philadelphia Police Department<\/a>\u2019s five-year plan \u2014 which includes proposals for designated quality-of-life officers and handling 911 calls with AI-assisted technology \u2014 was released last week.<\/p>\n The document<\/a> is expected to serve as a strategic guide through 2030 for a department that has a headcount of more than 6,200 uniformed and civilian employees and a budget nearing $900 million a year.<\/p>\n \u201cThis plan is designed to transform the Philadelphia Police Department into a national model for modern, equitable policing,\u201d Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel wrote in a letter accompanying the report. \u201cWe are setting the standard for how a major city department can be responsive, data-driven, and community-centered.\u201d<\/p>\n In October, Bethel and Mayor Cherelle Parker described the plan<\/a> as the first in PPD\u2019s history to utilize feedback from community leaders and the public. More than 2,500 people filled out a survey, and about 200 individuals served on the effort\u2019s leadership team, steering committee and advisory groups, officials said.<\/p>\n There is still time for input. The PPD is soliciting public comment through Feb. 11 via a website, phillypolice.com\/strategicplan<\/a>. A finalized document is expected to be published in late February.<\/p>\n The 39-page report is organized around five \u201cpriority areas\u201d \u2014 Advance Trust with the Community and Partners, Ensure Safe Neighborhoods, Invest in the Workforce, Promote a Collaborative and Supportive Internal Culture, and Foster Organizational Excellence and Innovation.<\/p>\n \u201cDepartments that deliver consistent, high-quality service across all neighborhoods \u2014 not just in response to violent crime, but to the full range of community concerns \u2014 demonstrate that every resident matters and that the Department can be trusted to show up when needed,\u201d the plan states.<\/p>\n Quality-of-life officers, alternative 911 responses<\/p>\n To that end, the report calls for the creation of \u201cQuality of Life officers\u201d in each of the PPD\u2019s geographic districts to address neighborhood nuisances and concerns. It also recommends reinstating alternative responses to 911 reports for non-violent incidents to increase timely response and free up sworn officers.<\/p>\n PPD data should also be expanded to include quality of life metrics, instead of only traditional crime categories, such as aggravated assaults, robberies and burglaries, according to the plan.<\/p>\n AI-assisted reporting<\/p>\n Over the next five years, the department intends to transition more fully from paperwork to digital record-keeping technology and replace outdated software to increase efficiency.<\/p>\n Among the strategies put forth in the plan is using artificial intelligence \u201cwith appropriate safeguards\u201d to speed up reporting. Police intend to track the number of AI-assisted 911 calls.<\/p>\n