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Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Question 1, Call on Police to End Unconstitutional Stop-and-Frisk Amendment (November 2020)
| Philadelphia Question 1 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Election date November 3, 2020 | |
| Topic Local law enforcement | |
Status Approved | |
| Type Referral | Origin Lawmakers |
Philadelphia Question 1, the Call on Police to End Unconstitutional Stop-and-Frisk Amendment, was on the ballot for voters in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on November 3, 2020. Question 1 was approved.
A "yes" vote supported adding language to the Philadelphia City Charter calling on the police department to "eliminate the practice of unconstitutional stop and frisk, consistent with judicial precedent." |
A "no" vote opposed adding language to the Philadelphia City Charter calling on the police department to "eliminate the practice of unconstitutional stop and frisk, consistent with judicial precedent." |
Election results
|
Philadelphia County Question 1 |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
|
|
542,209 | 82.92% | ||
| No | 111,723 | 17.08% | ||
Overview
Question 1 added language to the Philadelphia City Charter calling on the police department to "eliminate the practice of unconstitutional stop and frisk, consistent with judicial precedent, meaning an officer must have reasonable suspicion that a person is engaged in criminal activity in order to stop that person, and, therefore, an officer cannot stop someone unlawfully because of their race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, religious affiliation or expression, or other protected characteristic."[1][2]
Text of measure
Ballot question
The ballot question was as follows:[1]
| “ |
Shall The Philadelphia Home Rule Charter be amended to call on the Police Department to eliminate the practice of unconstitutional stop and frisk, consistent with judicial precedent, meaning an officer must have reasonable suspicion that a person is engaged in criminal activity in order to stop that person, and, therefore, an officer cannot stop someone unlawfully because of their race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, religious affiliation or expression, or other protected characteristic?[3] |
” |
Background
George Floyd death and protests
On May 25, 2020, Minneapolis police officers arrested George Floyd, a black man, after receiving a call that he had made a purchase with a counterfeit $20 bill.[4] Floyd died after Derek Chauvin, a white officer, arrived at the scene and pressed his knee onto Floyd's neck as Floyd laid face-down on the street in handcuffs.[5] Both the Hennepin County Medical Examiner and an independent autopsy conducted by Floyd's family ruled Floyd's death as a homicide stemming from the incident.[6] The medical examiner's report, prepared by Dr. Michael Baden and Dr. Allecia Wilson, said that it was "not a legal determination of culpability or intent, and should not be used to usurp the judicial process."[6]
Floyd's death was filmed and shared widely, leading to protests and demonstrations over racism, civil rights, and police use of force. The first protests took place in Minneapolis-St. Paul on May 26. A protest in Chicago organized by Chance the Rapper and Rev. Michael Pfleger took place the same day, making it the first major city outside of Minneapolis to host a protest over Floyd's death.[7]
Click here to read more about responses to the killing of and protests about George Floyd.
Related 2020 ballot measures
Ballotpedia identified 18 local police-related or law enforcement measures on the ballot for November 3, 2020, that qualified following the death of George Floyd. The local ballot measures were on the ballot in nine cities and four counties within six states. The local ballot measures concerned police practices, police oversight boards and auditors, police staffing and funding levels, recordings from police body and dashboard cameras, and other policies.
| State | Jurisdiction | Title | Description | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | Los Angeles County | Measure J | Requires that no less than 10% of the county's general fund be appropriated to community programs and alternatives to incarceration |
|
| California | Oakland | Measure S1 | Changes the powers, duties, and staffing of the Oakland Police Commission and creates the Office of Inspector General |
|
| California | San Diego | Measure B | Replaces the Community Review Board on Police Practices with the Commission on Police Practices that would be appointed by the city council to conduct investigations and subpoena witnesses and documents related to deaths resulting from police interactions and complaints made against police officers |
|
| California | San Francisco | Proposition D | Creates the Sheriff's Department Oversight Board and the Sheriff's Department Office of Inspector General |
|
| California | San Francisco | Proposition E | Removes the mandatory police staffing level from the city's charter |
|
| California | San Jose | Measure G | Authorizes the independent police auditor to review reports and records related to officer-involved shootings and uses of force |
|
| California | Sonoma County | Measure P | Makes changes to the powers and duties of the Independent Office of Law Enforcement Review and Outreach (IOLERO) | /
|
| Illinois | DuPage County | Law Enforcement Budget Advisory Referendum | Advises the county to continue to consider law enforcement and public safety as its top budgeting priority |
|
| Illinois | DuPage County | Law Enforcement Injury Risk Training Advisory Referendum | Advises the county to continue to fund and support law enforcement training methods that decrease the risk of injury to officers and suspects |
|
| Ohio | Akron | Release of Recordings from Police Body and Dashboard Cameras after Use of Force Charter Amendment | Requires recordings from police body and dashboard cameras documenting police use of force that results in death or serious injury to be released to the public |
|
| Ohio | Columbus | Issue 2 | Creates the Civilian Police Review Board to investigate alleged police misconduct, subpoena testimony and evidence during the investigations, make recommendations to the Division of Police, and appoint and manage the new position of Inspector General for the Division of Police |
|
| Oregon | Portland | Measure 26-217 | Establishes a new police oversight board in the city's charter |
|
| Pennsylvania | Philadelphia | Question 1 | Adds language to the Philadelphia City Charter calling on the police department to "eliminate the practice of unconstitutional stop and frisk, consistent with judicial precedent" |
|
| Pennsylvania | Philadelphia | Question 3 | Creates a Citizens Police Oversight Commission to replace the Police Advisory Commission |
|
| Pennsylvania | Pittsburgh | Independent Citizen Police Review Board Charter Amendment | Requires police officers to cooperate with investigations conducted by the Independent Citizen Police Review Board |
|
| Texas | Kyle | Proposition F | Amends the city charter to authorize the city council to adopt procedures and a committee to review the police department |
|
| Washington | King County | Charter Amendment 1 | Requires investigations into all police-related deaths and to provide public attorneys to represent the decedent's family in the investigation |
|
| Washington | King County | Charter Amendment 4 | Amends the county charter to authorize the Office of Law Enforcement Oversight (OLEO) to subpoena witnesses, documents, and other evidence in its investigations of law enforcement personnel |
|
| Washington | King County | Charter Amendment 5 | Returns the office of the sheriff from an elected position to an appointed position that is appointed by the county executive and confirmed by the county council |
|
| Washington | King County | Charter Amendment 6 | Gives the county council the authority to specify the duties of the sheriff |
|
Path to the ballot
This measure was put on the ballot through a vote of the Philadelphia City Council. Mayor James Kenney (D) signed the bill on July 1, 2020, which placed the charter amendment on the ballot.[1]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Philadelphia City Council, "Bill 200076," accessed July 13, 2020
- ↑ Philadelphia City Council, "Resolution 200080," accessed July 13, 2020
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Washington Post, "The death of George Floyd: What video and other records show about his final minutes," May 30, 2020
- ↑ The New York Times, "8 Minutes and 46 Seconds: How George Floyd Was Killed in Police Custody," May 31, 2020
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 USA Today, "Medical examiner and family-commissioned autopsy agree: George Floyd's death was a homicide," June 1, 2020
- ↑ CNN, "Protests across America after George Floyd's death," accessed June 2, 2020
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