As a criminal defense investigator with decades of experience, I’ve seen firsthand the sacrifices and risks that law enforcement officers take every single day. At ELPS Private Detective Agency, we support the men and women in uniform who serve with integrity, often putting their lives on the line for their communities. Their courage deserves our respect and gratitude.
But just as we support good policing, we must also call out bad policing. We cannot turn a blind eye to misconduct, corruption, and systemic practices that undermine justice and destroy the trust between law enforcement and the public they are sworn to protect.
A recent Philadelphia Inquirer investigation reveals a deeply troubling pattern: for decades, officers accused of crimes and serious misconduct have been reinstated to the force through a secretive arbitration process, often with the help of the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP). Despite promises of transparency made in 2019, the City of Philadelphia has quietly stopped publishing police arbitration decisions since March 2024. The public can no longer see how officers fired for offenses like assault, perjury, and domestic violence manage to get their jobs back—often to offend again (source).
This isn’t just poor oversight. It’s a betrayal of the public’s trust and, in many cases, a form of malicious fraud against taxpayers who foot the bill for settlements and back pay awarded to these reinstated officers. Even worse, it’s an insult to the countless honest, hardworking cops whose reputations are tarnished by their corrupt colleagues.
The data speaks for itself:
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85% of fired officers were reinstated between 2022 and early 2024 (source).
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Many of these reinstatements involved officers with multiple prior offenses, including violent and abusive behavior both on and off duty.
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The cost to taxpayers is estimated in the millions—and that’s likely a conservative figure (source).
When accountability is absent, misconduct thrives. Allowing bad officers back on the force is not only illegal and unethical; it’s dangerous. It risks lives, erodes community confidence, and makes the job exponentially harder for the good cops trying to do things the right way.
That’s why supporting organizations like the Police Transparency Project is critical. These groups fight to expose misconduct, challenge corrupt systems, and advocate for reforms that protect both citizens and honest officers.
As a society, we cannot afford to ignore these problems. True respect for law enforcement means holding it to the highest standards—not shielding those who abuse their power. Transparency is not an optional luxury; it is the foundation of justice.
We call on the City of Philadelphia to resume publishing arbitration decisions immediately and to enact stronger safeguards to prevent bad actors from returning to positions of authority. And we urge every citizen to stay informed and support the organizations working tirelessly to ensure accountability.
We owe it to the good officers. We owe it to the public. And we owe it to the integrity of the badge itself.
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