Much has changed since people started calling for police reform, and now the Philadelphia City Council suggests a transparent public hearing for the contracts between the police and the government. Will this help? Not much. This reform won’t add up to much change.

It seems every council member is in a competition to introduce a bill that is significant to them and create history. They should instead focus on creating reforms that last, and will hold up for a lifetime. The council would be wasting their time as well as the public’s in making pointless public hearings where citizens can weigh in on contracts regarding the police. This bill is totally absurd.

For years, police contract negotiations took place behind closed doors. Council member  Katherine Gilmore Richardson wanted the doors open. For what? For transparency, as Richardson explains it. Is she for real? Not sure. “The time for change is now, and we must bring transparency and accountability to this process,” said Richardson. 

The bill called for a public hearing, and claimed that this would allow voices of the people to give their inputs and opinions, which over time would build trust and confidence, improving relations between the police and the city. 

The public would have the opportunity to observe the negotiations, share their opinions, but ultimately wouldn’t get a chance to make any decisions on the final contract. What do we call that? Transparency or a complete failure and waste of time for everyone?

This whole affair is not worth the time of the public and would bear little fruit. 

The point is you cannot and should not get involved in any way that shows signs of “demonizing” anyone. For this reform, it was the police. The reform will not bring the desired results, instead it will surely pollute the waters of cooperation and harmony between the public and the police. Moreover, as the reform bill claims that it would improve the relationship between both the parties and the public would be more informed – this is a distant dream.