Mar. 20, 2017
HARRISBURG—Legislation sponsored by Rep. Martina White (R-Philadelphia) to protect police officers and their families when the officer is involved in a discharge of his or her firearm or other use of force has passed the House.
“This bill has the necessary balance between the right for our police officers to have due process and the public's need for transparency,” White said.
Under House Bill 27, the name and identifying information of the law enforcement officer may not be released by a public official before the investigation is complete or before 30 days after the incident has occurred, whichever comes first. The bill is supported by the Philadelphia-based Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) Lodge 5 and the state FOP.
The same legislation passed the House and Senate in the last term, but was vetoed by Gov. Tom Wolf.
“As we’ve seen across the country, shootings involving police officers have become so politically charged that the officers’ lives and their families can be endangered even if the use of force was justified,” White said. “House Bill 27 offers a way to protect our police until the facts of the case in question come out. I want to protect the good officers from being tried in public, while making sure those who break the law are tried in court.”
The bill now moves to the Senate.
Representative Martina White
170th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
www.RepWhite.com / www.facebook.com/RepMartinaWhite