Phila. DA Says One Aspect of "21st-Century Policing'' Report is All Wet
By Steve Tawa
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Philadelphia district attorney Seth Williams says he disagrees with one recommendation that came out of the presidential task force, co-chaired by Philadelphia's police commissioner, which calls for external, independent investigations and outside prosecutors when police use deadly force.
DA Williams thinks his office, in conjunction with the Philadelphia Police Department's own internal affairs unit, is in a better position to investigate and prosecute. He tells KYW Newsradio that elected prosecutors, such as him, are more directly responsible and accountable to voters.
"I think there are too many additional problems if we were to create special prosecutors that have no direct accountability to the public," he said.
Williams says the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys, of which he is a vice president, is opposed to handing off such cases to outside prosecutors.
"Are you going to let the attorney general of Pennsylvania select random attorneys off a wheel?" he wondered aloud.
Williams says if the public feels he doesn't prosecute cases involving police appropriately, they should not re-elect him.