Philadelphia Sheriff's Office

The Philadelphia Sheriff's Office is the elected agency that provides security for the courts, transports prisoners, serves court orders and warrants, and conducts sheriff sales of real property. As in the rest of Pennsylvania the sheriff is a county officer; in Philadelphia, where county government merged into the city, the Sheriff is one of the independently elected row offices. Rochelle Bilal, a retired Philadelphia police officer, defeated the incumbent in the 2019 Democratic primary, took office on January 6, 2020 as the first woman to serve as Philadelphia Sheriff, and was re-elected in 2023.^[1]

1 Responsibilities

Deputy sheriffs provide security in courtrooms and court buildings of the First Judicial District, transport people in custody between the city's jails and court, serve process such as summonses, eviction orders and protection orders, and execute certain warrants. They are separate from the Philadelphia Police Department. In landlord-tenant matters, a court order for possession is carried out by the Sheriff, which is why the office appears in discussions of the eviction process (see Eviction Diversion and Landlord-Tenant Court).

2 Sheriff sales

The office auctions real estate ordered sold by a court, most often because of unpaid mortgages or delinquent taxes and water bills. Proceeds are supposed to be distributed to the parties and taxing authorities entitled to them, including the city's Revenue Department and Water Department, and a deed is issued to the buyer. A 2003 consent order requires deeds to be issued within 40 days of settlement. The Inquirer first reported delays in deed processing in July 2024.^[2]

3 Budget and staffing

The Sheriff's budget is set by City Council as part of the city budget, and the office presents testimony at Council's annual budget hearings. Staffing, pay and technology have been recurring topics in that testimony. Staffing figures and the amount requested each year are posted in the budget documents at phila.gov.

4 2026 audit and court supervision

On August 26, 2026, the Inquirer reported that a Philadelphia judge had imposed six months of outside supervision over the Sheriff's Office's property auctions. On October 1, 2026, the Inquirer reported that the office had told the judge it found about $20 million in city money, and that it had backed away from a court-supervision agreement. These accounts come from press reports of court proceedings, which may continue; the office's positions are stated in its court filings and public statements.

5 Residents and the office

Homeowners facing a sheriff sale, buyers, and tenants affected by eviction orders deal with the office, while counseling and legal help are available through housing programs (see Division of Housing and Community Development). Complaints can go to the Sheriff's office, the courts, the City Controller (which can audit the office) or the Inspector General. Sheriff's records are subject to the Right-to-Know Law.

See also: Philadelphia Row Offices, Court of Common Pleas and Municipal Court, Philadelphia City Budget Process.

References

1. Philadelphia Sheriff's Office (phillysheriff.com); Billy Penn, "How Philly works," December 1, 2025.
2. Philadelphia Inquirer, "Philly judge imposes six months of outside supervision for sheriff's auctions" (August 26, 2026), and "Philly sheriff's office reneges on court-supervision deal, tells judge it found $20 million in city money" (October 1, 2026).
3. Wikipedia, "Rochelle Bilal" (career and election dates); Philadelphia City Council, annual budget hearing materials (phlcouncil.com).