(a) Enforce the provisions of this Title and of The Vehicle Code applicable to street traffic in this City, investigate accidents, cooperate with the Department and other City departments and agencies in the administration of the traffic laws and develop ways and means to improve traffic conditions;
(b) Cooperate with the Department in conducting studies of highway accident locations and determining remedial measures;
(c) Maintain a suitable system of filing traffic accident reports. A record of each accident shall be filed alphabetically by location, and shall be available solely for the use and information of the Police Department and the Department;
(d) Maintain a record, filed alphabetically under the name of the operator concerned, of all traffic accidents, which shall be available solely for the use and information of the Police Department and the Department.
(e) Continue, in accordance with policies and practices developed in response to the June 21, 2011 Court Approved Settlement Agreement, Class Certification, and Consent Decree entered in Bailey v. City of Philadelphia, to record information relevant to each vehicle stop performed by the Philadelphia Police Department within the city limits (information currently contained within the standard Philadelphia Police Reports referred to as the 78-48A) into an electronic database.
(.1) Within twelve (12) months of the effective date of the ordinance adding this subsection (1)(e) to the Code, the electronic database shall have the capability to retrieve digitized information for all vehicle stops by district control number; police service area; police district incident occurred in and police district assigned officer is assigned to; date, time and location; year, make and model of the vehicle; the drivers' race, ethnicity, and gender, and the race, gender, and ethnicity of passengers, if any; the primary vehicle violation; any and all secondary violations, if any; police action taken, including, but not limited to: whether a warning or citation issued; whether occupant(s) of vehicle were frisked or searched; whether occupant(s) of vehicle were arrested; whether vehicle was frisked or searched; whether the vehicle stop resulted in recovery of contraband, delineated by type: "firearm", "other weapon", "narcotics", or "other contraband"; and, any other relevant information necessary for effective monitoring of vehicle stops.
(f) Develop procedures and policies to reasonably ensure information entered into the database, referenced in subsection (1)(e)(.1), is complete and accurate.
(g) Publicly publish the information referenced in subsection (1)(e)(.1), as it becomes available or, at a minimum, monthly.
(h) Regularly collaborate with the Citizen Police Oversight Committee to ensure nationally recognized best practices are implemented to mitigate racial bias or disparity in vehicle stops.
(i) Transmit an annual report detailing the Police Department's enforcement of the vehicle code within the city limits, and identifying any best-practice policy changes that were implemented over the preceding year, to the Council President and Chair of the Public Safety Committee two weeks prior to the public hearing scheduled in accordance with Section 17-2303 of this Code.
Notes
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(1) The Department shall:
(a) Conduct studies of and plan all phases of traffic movement on the streets of this City, and, in cooperation with the other departments, plan and develop ways, means, and facilities to improve traffic movement on and traffic terminals for said streets, including improvements in the streets.
(b) Initiate and recommend necessary legislation for the efficient operation of traffic and the prevention of traffic accidents.
(c) Maintain schedules relating to the parking of vehicles and direction of the movement of traffic on City streets, as provided by ordinances approved and regulations promulgated pursuant to this Title.
(d) Determine the acceptability of all electrically powered traffic-control signs and signals, controllers, circuits and other devices, apparatus, or facilities employed in connection with such signs and signals or affecting the operation thereof. 17
Notes
| 17 | Added, 1976 Ordinances, p. 879. |
(1) The Police Department is empowered to enforce regulations necessary to make effective the provisions of this Title. In the event of fire, emergency or special events the Police Department is empowered to establish and enforce temporary traffic regulations.
(2) For the purpose of minimizing traffic hazards and traffic congestion and for the promotion of public safety, the Department is authorized to establish any traffic regulation for a trial period of eight months; provided that:
(a) Prior to the commencement of any trial period, a copy of the proposed regulation shall be sent by the Department to Council together with a statement of the reasons therefor;
(b) Such trial period shall begin upon the posting of signs or other appropriate notices to the public.
(3) If an ordinance embodying such regulation, or any part thereof, is not approved after the eight-month trial period, such regulation shall cease to be effective.
(4) The Department may test traffic-control devices under actual traffic conditions.
(5) Ordinances to control the direction of movement of traffic and the parking of vehicles on streets within the City shall be enacted pursuant to the authority of this Section.
(1) The Department of Records and the Chief Clerk of Council shall receive and maintain copies of all ordinances and regulations relating to the direction of the movement of traffic on City streets, the parking of vehicles and restriction of commercial or burden vehicles on certain streets.