On July 21, 2020, The NAACP’s Lancaster chapter hosted a webinar that discussed racial bias and police reform.

Sheriff Bilal, a former Philadelphia police officer and member of the National Association of Black Law Enforcement Officers (NABLEO), discussed what she noticed when it comes to police relations with black people. Sheriff Bilal believes that unnecessary prejudice can lead to black individuals being stopped more often by police officers than their white counterparts. The example that she gave was a black man running in the rain, empty handed, would be viewed very negatively by the police. The assumption would be that he is running from the scene of a crime. However, a white main running in the rain with a stolen tv would not prompt the same response from the police officer who happens to be passing by.

As the panel continued, Sheriff Bilal, along with the other panelists, encouraged people to join organizations that will promote reform and positive changes, such as the NAACP. Sheriff Bilal also encouraged those listening to consider a career in law enforcement to enact the change they wish to see within their cities.

On Saturday, July 11, 2020, Sheriff Rochelle Bilal and The Philadelphia Sheriff’s Office, along with their partners at The Guardian Civic League, Caring For Friends, Local Laborers Union 57, Muslims Serve, The Black Male Community Council of Philadelphia and Revolutionary Vision, distributed food to Philadelphia families in need at 6143 Landowne Avenue.

Since the pandemic, the Sheriff’s Office has had five food giveaways across Philadelphia. The Sheriff’s Office goal is to ensure that during these difficult no family in Philadelphia goes hungry during these difficult times.

The next public food giveaway will be on July 25, 2020 at 11am.

Additional details to follow on our social media pages: Facebook.com (@philasheriff), Twitter.com (@PhilaSheriff), Instagram.com (@phillysheriff).

To view the recap of the food giveaway, click here.

The Philadelphia Sheriff’s Office will open July 6, 2020 with Conditions of Operations

MANDATORY “FACE MASK REQUIRED”

• Sheriff’s Office will Strictly Enforce Scheduled Appointments.
  • Sheriff Sales – “SETTLEMENTS ONLY”
  • LIEN REMOVAL – Phone requests only
• SHERIFF SALE INQUIRIES – Website “phillysheriff.com”
• ALL ASSIGNMENT OF (BID) PURCHASES ARE TEMPORARILY SUSPENDED – NO EXCEPTIONS
• TAX SALE COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE - WILL TENTATIVELY BE GOOD FOR 30 DAYS

Original article by Dan Zak and Ellen McCarthy published July 6, 2020

As the country is entering into another month filled with protests, black and brown police officers are left in an awkward position. The job they signed up for is now under extreme scrutiny, following the death of George Floyd. They signed up for the job because they wanted to make a change but have found that prejudice runs deep in the state of policing.

Sheriff Rochelle Bilal, a former Philadelphia police officer, continues to be an outspoken supporter of those who are protesting. In her interview with the Washington Post, Sheriff Bilal would go on to discuss her experience with Philadelphia police officers as she was growing up in North Philadelphia. She also shed some light on what she experienced as a police officer.

Sheriff Bilal stated that, “police officers beat up my brothers. We thought they were the occupied enemy in my neighborhood. We would be up on the roofs throwing stuff down at them. We saw nothing good from them.”

Sheriff Bilal would go on to becoming a police officer to enact change. As a recruit, Sheriff Bilal experienced the injustice that has been plaguing policing for so long. She discussed how white officers would not face punishment for wrong doings while black officers would be punished for the same thing.  She also witnessed an online message board for city police officers become a place where obscene racial remarks were often made.

Sheriff Bilal knows that work must be put in for policing to be changed on the inside so that when officers are out in the street, they are doing the proper work.

To read Sheriff Bilal’s interview with The Washington Post, click here. 

On June 27, Sheriff Rochelle Bilal joined Joy Reid on her morning show on MSNBC. The interview comes on the heels of the Minneapolis City Council advancing their plans to dismantle their police department, following the killing of unarmed George Floyd. Sheriff Bilal, who was a Philadelphia police officer for 27 years, spoke on the recent events and gave her thoughts as someone who has been in the community as a police officer.

Sheriff Rochelle Bilal stated that, ”some of these police departments need to be scrapped. You need to look at them and see what they have done in the past and scrap them. All of this is coming out because it needs to come out. These incidents are not new.”

Sheriff Bilal stands with the protestors but also does not want us to forget those officers who have spoken out against the injustice and have had their lives completely ruined due to speaking out. Sheriff Bilal brought up Cariol Horne, a black female police officer in Buffalo who was fired after intervening in a chokehold back in 2008. Sheriff Bilal stated, “if you are about change and don’t support racism, then support those that step up and speak out these issues.”

To view Sheriff Bilal’s interview with Joy Reid, click here.

By order of the President Judge of the First Judicial District of Pennsylvania, all Tax and Mortgage Foreclosure Sales for July, August and September have been postponed.  

On June 18, Sheriff Rochelle Bilal joined Senator Sharif Street, Attorney General Josh Shapiro and Congressmen Evans and Boyle to call for a ban on the use of chokeholds by law enforcement throughout Pennsylvania.

On June 17, The PA Senate held hearings on policy reform for law enforcement. Advocates, including the state N.A.A.C.P and Attorney General Shapiro, who stated "Choke-holds have no place in policing. Law Enforcement leaders in Pennsylvania condemn their use and I support strong steps to prevent them from being used in our communities. Senator Street is the prime sponsor of bi-partisan legislation in the Senate that would outlaw the use of the standard chokehold and any action that inhibits breath or the flow of blood to the brain.

Sheriff Rochelle Bilal believes that,” until the culture of policing changes, these things will continue to happen. We must speak up, stand up and stop these things from happening. No one should be afraid to intervene when their colleague is doing wrong.”

As of June 23, 2020, The Senate Law & Justice Committee just unanimously passed SB1205 - Senator Sharif Street’s bill to ban the use of chokeholds by law enforcement officers and require law enforcement agencies to develop written Use of Force policies backed by annual training and public reporting of use of force incidents.

Register to join our First Virtual Town Hall on June 25, 2020 at 1:00 PM 

Original article by John N. Mitchell can be found here: https://www.phillytrib.com/news/health/coronavirus/sheriff-s-office-suspends-tax-lien-sales-evictions-during-march/article_dd5bbbe2-570d-5be2-822d-15316b9c7ad0.html

The Office of the Sheriff is postponing all tax lien sales and evictions until further notice in response to the coronavirus outbreak.

“Due to the COVID-19 trauma that is happening, not just in the city but across the entire world, we felt that there need not be any undue hardship to any of the citizens of the city who may be experiencing work-related hardships related to the coronavirus,” Sheriff Rochelle Bilal said.

Bilal petitioned the First Judicial District Court for the relief measure back on March 12. The March 18 tax lien sale was postponed shortly thereafter. Two more tax lien sales scheduled for March 24 and 26 have also been postponed.

Tax sales typically attract hundreds of people. In an effort to reduce the spread of the highly contagious virus, which the World Health Organization has classified as a global pandemic, officials don’t want people to gather in crowds larger than 10 people.

As long as the courts remain closed, the Sheriff’s Office will not serve eviction notices or perform any evictions. The agency will also cease serving bank writs and garnishments of any kind until the courts reopen.

The sheriff’s office will revisit the new policy at the beginning of next month.