Philly to begin hiring unarmed traffic officers this month
PHILADELPHIA PA October 19 2021 — A plan to create a new class of non-sworn, unarmed “public safety officers” is moving closer to reality, The Philadelphia Tribune reports.
The plan was first suggested in 2019 by city council president Darrell Clarke to alleviate downtown congestion and was backed by a related ballot measure later that year, according to the report. However, progress has been slow due in part to the pandemic, city officials said.
Now, the city plans to post job listings by the end of October.
“The goal is to launch the program early in the new year,” city spokesperson Joy Huertas told The Philadelphia Tribune.
In March 2020, Mayor Jim Kenney committed $1.9 million in funding to the Philadelphia Police Department to create a class of 20 public safety enforcement officers, according to the report.
Ultimately, the new traffic officers would focus on directing traffic, spotting illegal parking and enforcing traffic regulations.
The officers will report to the Office of Transportation, Infrastructure and Sustainability, the report says.
