London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Oct 30, 2025

US: Police to Delay Arrests for Some Nonviolent Offenses in Response to COVID-19

US: Police to Delay Arrests for Some Nonviolent Offenses in Response to COVID-19

Philadelphia police will delay arrests for certain nonviolent offenses in response to the novel coronavirus pandemic

Philadelphia police will delay arrests for certain nonviolent offenses in response to the novel coronavirus pandemic but the commissioner insists they are "not turning a blind eye to crime."

Police announced Tuesday that arrests for certain nonviolent offenses will be made “pursuant to an Arrest Warrant, which will be served at a later date.” The change in protocol means anyone accused of a nonviolent offense who would normally be arrested and processed at a detective division will now be temporarily detained for the purpose of confirming their identity and the completion of required paperwork. They’ll then be arrested at a later date.

Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw clarified the policy in a tweet early Wednesday morning, claiming her department "is not turning a blind eye to crime."


"This is similar to the 'summons process' that is utilized in many other counties throughout the Commonwealth," Outlaw said. "An officer still has the authority to utilize discretion, and take an offender into physical custody for immediate processing, if the officer and supervisor believe the individual poses a threat to public safety."


Other changes include the following:

Officers from various plain-clothes specialized units will be temporarily reassigned to uniform patrol duties.
The “Live Stop” vehicle impoundment program will be suspended until further notice.
Nonessential training has been temporarily suspended.
Police Radio will redirect certain calls for service to Patrol Districts. An officer will speak to citizen via telephone, then, prepare a police report.
Police Department employees are being versed in best practices to avoid communication of COVID-19 (e.g., maintaining proper social distancing, washing hands regularly, wearing of nitrile gloves, refraining from touching face and eyes, etc.).


Coronavirus Pandemic

Full coverage of the COVID-19 outbreak and how it impacts you

Mayor Jim Kenney said the arrest policy changes were made with input from various parts of his administration.

"For my part, I want to make this clear, the revised protocols were a result of a thoughtful collaboration among the police department, the managing director's office, the health department and our criminal justice partners, including the first judicial district," Kenney said at a Wednesday afternoon news conference.

"I believe these changes strike a proper balance between protecting the health of the public and our police officers and ensuring public safety," Kenney said.


The police union is also supporting the temporary changes.

"We are supportive of Commissioner Outlaw’s directive on making arrests during the Coronavirus crisis," Philadelphia Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #5 president John McNesby wrote in a statement. "The directive was released to keep officers safe during this public-health crisis. Meanwhile, violent offenders will be arrested and processed with the guidance of a police supervisor."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK and Vietnam Sign Landmark Migration Deal to Fast-Track Returns of Irregular Arrivals
UK Drug-Pricing Overhaul Essential for Life-Sciences Ambition, Says GSK Chief
Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie Temporarily Leave the UK Amid Their Parents’ Royal Fallout
UK Weighs Early End to Oil and Gas Windfall Tax as Reeves Seeks Investment Commitments
UK Retail Inflation Slows as Shop Prices Fall for First Time Since Spring
Next Raises Full-Year Profit Guidance After Strong Third-Quarter Performance
Reform UK’s Lee Anderson Admits to 'Gaming' Benefits System While Advocating Crackdown
United States and South Korea Conclude Major Trade Accord Worth $350 Billion
Hurricane Melissa Strikes Cuba After Devastating Jamaica With Record Winds
Vice President Vance to Headline Turning Point USA Campus Event at Ole Miss
U.S. Targets Maritime Narco-Routes While Border Pressure to Mexico Remains Limited
Bill Gates at 70: “I Have a Real Fear of Artificial Intelligence – and Also Regret”
Elon Musk Unveils Grokipedia: An AI-Driven Alternative to Wikipedia
Saudi Arabia Unveils Vision for First-Ever "Sky Stadium" Suspended Over Desert Floor
Amazon Announces 14 000 Corporate Job Cuts as AI Investment Accelerates
UK Shop Prices Fall for First Time Since March, Food Leads the Decline
London Stock Exchange Group ADR (LNSTY) Earns Zacks Rank #1 Upgrade on Rising Earnings Outlook
Soap legend Tony Adams, long-time star of Crossroads, dies at 84
Rachel Reeves Signals Tax Increases Ahead of November Budget Amid £20-50 Billion Fiscal Gap
NatWest Past Gains of 314% Spotlight Opportunity — But Some Key Risks Remain
UK Launches ‘Golden Age’ of Nuclear with £38 Billion Sizewell C Approval
UK Announces £1.08 Billion Budget for Offshore Wind Auction to Boost 2030 Capacity
UK Seeks Steel Alliance with EU and US to Counter China’s Over-Capacity
UK Struggles to Balance China as Both Strategic Threat and Valued Trading Partner
Argentina’s Markets Surge as Milei’s Party Secures Major Win
British Journalist Sami Hamdi Detained by U.S. Authorities After Visa Revocation Amid Israel-Gaza Commentary
King Charles Unveils UK’s First LGBT+ Armed Forces Memorial at National Memorial Arboretum
At ninety-two and re-elected: Paul Biya secures eighth term in Cameroon amid unrest
Racist Incidents Against UK Nurses Surge by 55%
UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves Cites Shared Concerns With Trump Administration as Foundation for Early US-UK Trade Deal
Essentra plc: A Closer Look at a UK ‘Penny Stock’ Opportunity Amid Market Weakness
U.S. and China Near Deal to Avert Rare-Earth Export Controls Ahead of Trump-Xi Summit
Justin time: Justin Herbert Shields Madison Beer with Impressive Reflex at Lakers Game
Russia’s President Putin Declares Burevestnik Nuclear Cruise Missile Ready for Deployment
Giuffre’s Memoir Alleges Maxwell Claimed Sexual Act with Clooney
House Republicans Move to Strip NYC Mayoral Front-Runner Zohran Mamdani of U.S. Citizenship
Record-High Spoiled Ballots Signal Voter Discontent in Ireland’s 2025 Presidential Election
Philippines’ Taal Volcano Erupts Overnight with 2.4 km Ash Plume
Albania’s Virtual AI 'Minister' Diella Set to 'Birth' Eighty-Three Digital Assistants for MPs
Tesla Unveils Vision for Optimus V3 as ‘Biggest Product of All Time’, Including Surgical Capabilities
Francis Ford Coppola Auctions Luxury Watches After Self-Financed Film Flop
Convicted Sex Offender Mistakenly Freed by UK Prison Service Arrested in London
United States and China Begin Constructive Trade Negotiations Ahead of Trump–Xi Summit
U.S. Treasury Sanctions Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro over Drug-Trafficking Allegations
Miss USA Crowns Nebraska’s Audrey Eckert Amid Leadership Overhaul
‘I Am Not Done’: Kamala Harris Signals Possible 2028 White House Run
NBA Faces Integrity Crisis After Mass Arrests in Gambling Scandal
Swift Heist at the Louvre Sees Eight French Crown Jewels Stolen in Under Seven Minutes
U.S. Halts Trade Talks with Canada After Ontario Ad Using Reagan Voice Triggers Diplomatic Fallout
Microsoft AI CEO: ‘We’re making an AI that you can trust your kids to use’ — but can Microsoft rebuild its own trust before fixing the industry’s?
×