— how Philadelphia politics, government, unions & institutions work

Public Safety and Justice

From the Philadelphia Civic Wiki, the free guide to how the city works

Police, fire, prisons, courts, defenders, oversight bodies, and the federal prosecutor.

Articles (13)

  • Philadelphia Police Department — The city's municipal police force: how it is organized and led, how it is funded, how residents interact with it, and its record of reform and controversy.
  • Citizens Police Oversight Commission — Philadelphia's civilian police oversight agency created by a 2020 ballot question: its mandate, its limits after a 2025 arbitration ruling, and how to use it.
  • Police Accountability Systems — How misconduct by Philadelphia police officers is investigated and disciplined: Internal Affairs, the Police Board of Inquiry, the DA, civilian oversight, courts, arbitration and consent decrees.
  • Philadelphia Fire Department — The city's fire and emergency medical service: structure, leadership, staffing, how residents use it, and its history, including the 2022 Fairmount fire.
  • Office of Emergency Management — The city office that plans for and coordinates responses to disasters, severe weather and large events, and how residents can sign up for alerts and prepare.
  • Philadelphia Department of Prisons — The city agency that runs Philadelphia's jails: facilities, leadership, population trends, oversight, and the public record on deaths, escapes and staffing.
  • Office of Violence Prevention — The city office, now part of the Division of Safe Neighborhoods under the Office of Public Safety, that funds and coordinates community-based anti-violence programs.
  • First Judicial District of Pennsylvania — Philadelphia's unified state court system, covering the Court of Common Pleas and Municipal Court: how it is governed, funded and staffed, and how judges are chosen.
  • Court of Common Pleas and Municipal Court — The two trial courts of Philadelphia: which cases each handles, their divisions, how a case moves through them, and where landlord-tenant and small claims cases are heard.
  • Defender Association of Philadelphia — The nonprofit public defender that represents most people in Philadelphia who cannot afford a lawyer in criminal and juvenile cases: history, structure, funding and role.
  • Adult Probation and Parole Department — The First Judicial District unit that supervises adults sentenced to county probation or parole in Philadelphia: structure, caseloads, rules, and reform debates.
  • Medical Examiner's Office — The city office that investigates sudden, violent and suspicious deaths in Philadelphia: legal duties, leadership, caseload, and the public record of its leadership turnover and challenges.
  • U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Pennsylvania — The federal prosecutor's office covering Philadelphia and eight nearby counties: its role, leadership, priorities and notable public-corruption and civil-rights cases.

See also the Department Directory, the full index and the Main Page.