Police commissioner showcases technology, outlines diversion progress as council presses on U‑visa denials and license‑plate reader policy

Commissioner Bethune opened the committee's second session with a video highlighting the Philadelphia Police Department's technology and community programs and thanked Council for support.

"Elevating the work the men and women of the Philadelphia Police Department do to keep the diverse communities throughout the city safe" was the theme of the video, which the commissioner said showcased the department's access to "6,500 cameras," an autonomous drone first‑responder program, automated license‑plate readers and expanded body‑worn and in‑car camera systems.

The video and testimony emphasized the department's use of technology for both response and prevention. "The launch of our drone as a first responder program deploys autonomous drones to non‑emergency calls and critical incidents," Bethune said, and credited a drone with helping officers locate and reunite a teenager during the Philadelphia Marathon "in just under 8 minutes." He added the department will add "50 more e‑bikes" for patrols across commercial corridors.

Council members followed with questions about community‑facing programs. Councilwoman Dr. Nina Ahmad pressed for details on human‑trafficking training, asking how officers on the beat are being prepared to identify victims and traffickers. Bethune said the department has not yet completed full training for all 5,200 officers but described steps underway: an awareness campaign, a Special Victims hotline, coordination with the FBI and operational planning ahead of large events such as FIFA. "We will move through that process and hopefully move that quickly before we get to the FIFA events," he said, calling the training an urgent but logistically challenging priority.

Jamie Gauthier asked for specifics about juvenile diversion. Bethune recounted past school‑arrest figures and diversion outcomes, saying that at one point the school district recorded about 1,600 arrests annually and that the department later counted as few as 38 juveniles arrested in a year under expanded diversion efforts. "I'm proud to say that we had 70 young people who were arrested last year," he said, adding the city now operates a three‑tier diversion model and a juvenile assessment center to route young people into age‑appropriate programming.

Members also queried technology effectiveness. On ShotSpotter and acoustic detection, Bethune said the department uses an acoustic gun‑shot detection system in parts of the city but does not treat it as a primary response tool: he cited 771 activations in a 22nd‑District deployment with 26 confirmed shootings, roughly a 3% confirmation rate, and characterized acoustic systems as one tool among many.

Councilmember Kendra Brooks raised immigration‑related concerns, asking whether the department is denying more U‑visa requests and whether LPR data could be accessed by outside federal agencies. Bethune provided five‑year totals: "we received 1,054 total U‑visa [requests]. 703 of those were approved. 342 of those were denied," and said that in 2026 the department had processed 60 applications — 32 approved, 28 denied. He described the department's procedure as an internal SOP rather than a public directive. Regarding license‑plate reader data, Bethune stated the department "doesn't share that data with ICE," and that LPR usage is narrowly limited to categories such as stolen vehicle recovery and serious investigations, with investigative access controlled and logged.

Why it matters: Council members pressed for training, transparency and limits on data sharing while the department pursues both technology upgrades and community‑centered responses. The session combined a technology showcase with scrutiny over how these tools intersect with immigrant victims, human‑trafficking response and civil‑liberties concerns.

What's next: Council members asked for documentary follow‑up — the department offered SOPs and more detailed counts on U‑visa denials, LPR inventories and training timelines for committee review.