The Speaker

As the Chief Executive Law Enforcement Officer for Philadelphia County, Sheriff Rochelle Bilal was sworn in to lead the Office of the Sheriff for the City and County of Philadelphia on Jan. 6, 2020. She is the first elected African American woman sheriff, in the 181-year history of the Philadelphia Sheriff’s Office. In fact, Sheriff Bilal is the department’s, first-ever elected woman.

Bilal, a 27-year veteran of the Philadelphia Police Department, formerly served as Secretary of the Philadelphia chapter of the NAACP and she is the former President of the Guardian Civic League, an oversight organization, made up of active and retired law enforcement officers. Sheriff Bilal also served as the former Vice Chair of the National Black Police Association and the former President of N.A.B.L.E.O, National Association of Black Law Enforcement Officers.

Currently, she serves as an appointed member of, Philadelphia City Council’s Special Committee on Child Separations. As a Philadelphia police officer, Sheriff Bilal served in units that focused on sex crimes and drug trafficking, including work in HIDTA (high intense drug and traffic area), a joint task force with the FBI and DEA. She also spent time in patrol and taught recruits at the Philadelphia Police Training Center, where she launched the Steer Straight initiative. Steer Straight, which is still in existence today, helps new police recruits to identify and avoid situations that may pose potential risks to their future careers in law enforcement. Bilal retired from Philadelphia Police Department in 2013.

Sheriff Bilal’s experience also includes time spent as the director of public safety in Colwyn Borough, where she managed the police and fire departments while developing a community outreach program for the Colwyn Borough Police Department. Sheriff Bilal is an advocate of criminal justice reform and encourages community engagement and outreach with her office. As sheriff, she will implement policies and procedures to improve the efficiency and engagement of the more than 400 employees of the department. The Sheriff’s Office has a $33 million + budget and oversees court security, prisoner transportation to and from the court, as well as managing sheriff’s sales, court-ordered sales of foreclosed and tax-delinquent properties.

Sheriff Bilal is a lifelong resident of Philadelphia.

The Workshop

The Guardian-v-Warrior Mindset: A Seismic Shift In Policing : Wednesday, September 28, 2022 03:00P

Within law enforcement, few things are more venerated than the concept of the Warrior. Officers are trained to cultivate a “warrior mindset,” the virtues of which are extolled in books, articles, interviews, and seminars. However, the best approach to ensure the safety of both police and the public with whom they work may start with teaching officers to view themselves as guardians instead of warriors.

The definition of a “warrior” is a “soldier or fighter,” which implies violence. On the other hand, the definition of “guardian” is a “defender, protector, or keeper” – one who advocates for another. This approach – ultimately, a change in mindset – can help build trust between officers and civilians and prevent unnecessary use of force.