PHILADELPHIA - The Philadelphia Police Department announced Friday that emergency COVID-19 arrest procedures for certain non-violent offenses are no longer in effect.
In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, Philadelphia police officers were instructed in March to stop making arrests for certain non-violent crimes.
The department said individuals who would normally be arrested and processed at a detective division, were temporarily detained to confirm identification and complete necessary paperwork.
The individual was then be arrested on a warrant at a later date. Decisions were made on a case-by-case basis based on the severity of the offense, the perpetrator's criminal record and potential danger to the community. "At the time of the change,