HISTORY OF THE URBAN POLICING PROJECT

During the 1970s, the Law Center was perhaps best known for its impact on police practices. Leading a powerful coalition of community organizations, the Law Center focused public attention on egregious civil rights and civil liberties violations which were then commonplace in the Philadelphia Police Department. The coalition sought greater accountability for police abuses, leading to the adoption of regulations governing the use of deadly force by the Philadelphia Police Department. Civilian deaths and injuries dropped subsequently from 62 in 1977 to a total of 2 in 1984. New police discipline policies were adopted, and the Law Center trained a police abuse bar to provide victims with competent representation.

This effort continued in the 1980s when the Law Center led a powerful coalition of community organizations that included the NAACP and the Black Clergy in successfully urging City Council to appoint a civilian Police Advisory Board to monitor police practices in Philadelphia.