Philadelphia police outline FY26 staffing, technology and victim‑services priorities at Council hearing

Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel told the City Council Committee of the Whole that the Philadelphia Police Department’s FY26 proposal centers on staffing, technology and victim services as tools to sustain recent reductions in shootings and homicides.

At a public hearing that opened with the clerk reading the city’s proposed operating and capital bills, Bethel said the department is working to close a large vacancy gap while expanding technology and community‑facing services. "We have to name the challenges — the department is down 1,200 men and women," he said, and described multiple efforts to recruit and retain officers and non‑sworn staff.

Why it matters: Council members pressed for specifics about hiring, 9‑1‑1 operator retention and how police investments would be deployed. The department framed new hires and equipment purchases — body‑worn cameras, Fleet 3 in‑car cameras, license‑plate readers, drones and evidence‑management systems — as intended to improve investigations and officer safety while adding advocates and diversion options to support victims and young people.

Staffing and recruitment: Bethel credited recent recruitment investments with measurable gains and with increasing diversity. He said the department exceeded a recruitment target of 300 this year, reporting "we have 369" new hires. He also outlined a longer target to restore patrol staffing: the department said it needs a steady pipeline of recruits, ideally 75 new officers entering training every six weeks, but said current throughput is about 40 per class. Bethel described changes in screening and testing — multiple reading tests and practice materials — that have raised pass rates.

Dispatch and non‑sworn staffing: Deputy Commissioner Krista Dowell Campbell told council that supervisors for 9‑1‑1 staff will be implemented once an arbitration process is completed and that the department has an active promotional list for those positions. She said smaller training classes and scheduling changes have been used to reduce burnout among dispatchers.

Victim services and homicide unit changes: Bethel described a newly created Office of Community Advocacy and Engagement and the hiring of Ayanna Green as executive director for victim advocacy. He said the department has hired 10 victim advocates and supervisors who will be embedded with the homicide unit to provide a consistent point of contact for families. "They will be the connective tissue between the detectives moving forward," Bethel said, noting advocates will be non‑sworn professionals trained to coordinate families with detectives and community services.

Juvenile diversion and the Juvenile Assessment Center: Bethel and other commanders described a three‑tier juvenile diversion model and a shift to civilian‑led processing at the Juvenile Assessment Center (JAC). The department said officers who previously staffed JAC intake will be repurposed as youth specialists to follow up with young people and families, and that outside partners and researchers will evaluate outcomes and recidivism. David Irizarry was named as leading the gang reduction and youth development work.

Technology and data: Kevin Thomas, the department’s executive director for data analytics and technology, described evidence and camera systems. He said department video and related evidence are stored in evidence.com and noted different retention practices depending on whether footage is evidence or analytic data (Genetec camera footage is kept 30 days; some LPR data are retained about a year). "We have 3,400 subscribers a day who can look at those cameras," Thomas said, describing the department’s access to public and private cameras through Genetec. Bethel described an ongoing rollout of Fleet 3 in‑car cameras and the final deployment of body‑worn cameras to three remaining specialized units by mid‑to‑late summer.

Drones and privacy: The department said it has employed a small fleet of Skydio drones, initially purchased with Police Foundation support, and is testing them for situational awareness and search tasks; Bethel described the technology as a "force multiplier" and cited one rescue where a drone found a missing child. Thomas and Bethel said data sharing with regional and federal partners occurs through the Delaware Valley Intelligence Center and is governed by state law and need‑to‑know protections.

Kensington and nuisance enforcement: Deputy Commissioner Pedro Rosario described the Kensington initiative as a multi‑agency, community‑based strategy mixing enforcement and services. Rosario cited reductions in violent crime measures in the Kensington footprint and listed seizures of large volumes of fentanyl and arrests, while acknowledging the work will take time. Deputy Commissioner Myesha Massey described a neighborhood nuisance enforcement unit that coordinates with Licenses & Inspections and law to pursue abatements and reimbursable overtime details.

Next steps and follow‑up: Council members asked for written follow‑ups on 9‑1‑1 retention figures, comparative pay for dispatchers, camera deployment timelines and details on civilian positions and procurement. The department said it will provide more detailed numbers in writing to the committee.

Taper: Commissioners and council members emphasized continuing the department’s combination of prevention, intervention and enforcement and said the city will monitor whether newly funded civilian positions, victim‑services roles and technology bring the intended investigative and community benefits.