By Police1 Staff
HARRISBURG, Pa. — A proposed bill that blocked public officials from immediately identifying officers involved in shootings was vetoed by the governor Monday.
HB 1538 required officials to wait 30 days after the OIS, or after the investigation has ended, to publicly name the officer, according to Phillymag.com.
Gov. Tom Wolf said in a statement that while he is concerned for the safety and well-being of police, the law would prevent trust and openness between civilians and the government.
“These situations in particular — when law enforcement uses deadly force — demand utmost transparency, otherwise a harmful mistrust will grow between police officers and the communities they protect and serve,” Wolf said. “Further, I cannot allow local police department policies to be superseded and transparency to be criminalized, as local departments are best equipped to decide what information is appropriate to release to the public.”
According to the publication, the House passed the bill in October 151 to 32, creating a veto-proof majority. The legislators could override the veto and make the bill into a law, despite Wolf’s objections.
“This legislation is critical as we’ve seen shootings involving police officers become so politically charged that the officers’ lives and their families can be endangered even if the use of force was justified,” Rep. Martina White said in a statement last month. “While we need transparency whenever police are involved in a shooting, we owe our officers basic protection from threats.”
Governor Wolf today vetoed the anti-transparency bill. Read the full veto message: https://t.co/uM8rpByNB0 pic.twitter.com/6upHUHFIJS
— Governor Tom Wolf (@GovernorTomWolf) November 21, 2016