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

Empowering Black and Brown Women Leadership in Policing : Wednesday, October 04, 2023 03:00P

Despite efforts to increase representation, the percentage of black and brown women in law enforcement has remained relatively stagnant for the past few decades. And the bulk of information on women in policing has focused on the growth of women in law enforcement, barriers, sexual harassment, gender differences, why women are deterred from law enforcement, physical limitations, and instruments used during the recruitment process, and the stress endured after entry into the profession.

The main reasons for the lack of black and brown women leadership in policing are sexism and racism, which remains relevant in law enforcement. Most men despise women telling them what to do, especially black women. Professional groups are very important for women. Sometimes, you are given a role but not the support you need to succeed. You can get that from being a part of professional organizations such as NABLEO, which encourages female mentors to instill ethics, morals and values respected amongst their peers. Seeing is more instructive than reading about how to act in difficult situations. Black women hearing stories of their peers facing hardships but remaining persistent and focused in moving up in ranks is imperative.

This workshop will examine the importance of the advancement and empowerment of women leadership in policing, by considering Black female officers’ concerns, values, and experiences in the profession of law enforcement, thereby helping to shape policy, procedures, and recruitment tactics aimed at the retention and success of Black female law-enforcement officers.