Sheriff Rochelle Bilal, the first African American woman to be elected as the Philadelphia Sheriff, has been making strides in leading the Sheriff's Office since taking office in 2020. With a focus on modernization, community engagement, and transparency, Sheriff Bilal has implemented a series of policy changes aimed at making the Sheriff's Office more efficient and accountable to the people it serves. Through her leadership, the Sheriff's Office has prioritized mental health awareness, updated equipment for deputies, and taken steps to address gun violence in the community. This page highlights Sheriff Bilal's record of accomplishment during her time in office.

1. Arrests, Weapon Seizures And Takedown Of Massive Drug Operation In Kensington Announced
   • https://phillysheriff.com/drug-takedown/
2. The Bike Patrol Unit apprehended and detained a male suspect related to the gun shooting at 1500 Market Street
   • https://phillysheriff.com/philadelphia-sheriffs-office-bike-patrol-reports-arrest/
3. Prioritizing mental health awareness and support for Sheriff's Office employees, including launching a mental health initiative and promoting the use of art as a means of communication and expression:
   • "Sheriff Bilal announces mental health initiative for Philly Sheriff’s Office employees" (WHYY News, June 17, 2021) 
   • "Philadelphia Sheriff's Office Promotes Art to Improve Mental Health" (NBC10 Philadelphia, September 22, 2021) 
4. Spearheading efforts to modernize the Sheriff's Office and make it more efficient, such as implementing new technology to streamline operations and reduce paperwork:
   • "Philly sheriff’s office to digitize sheriff sale process, reduce confusion and fraud" (Philadelphia Inquirer, January 29, 2020)
   • "Philadelphia Sheriff's Office Launches Online Auction for Seized Homes" (NBC10 Philadelphia, March 18, 2021)
5. Modernizing the Sheriff Sale process and implementing technology solutions that increase competition, resulting in over $5.8 million in excess proceeds refunded to homeowners who lost their property:
   • "Over $5.8M in Excess Sheriff Sale Proceeds Refunded to Homeowners in Philadelphia" (NBC10 Philadelphia, December 11, 2020)
   • "Philadelphia Sheriff's Office holds online auction, but activists say it's not enough" (Philadelphia Inquirer, April 6, 2021)
6. Ensuring that deputies have updated equipment, including new bulletproof vests:
   • "Philly Sheriff's Office debuts new, modernized bulletproof vests" (KYW Newsradio, June 30, 2021)
7. Implementing COVID-19 safety measures to protect employees and the public, such as suspending eviction proceedings and offering safety tips for people experiencing domestic violence:
   • "Philly Sheriff's Office suspends evictions for 30 days as coronavirus pandemic continues" (Philadelphia Inquirer, March 17, 2020)
   • "Philly Sheriff’s Office Offers Domestic Violence Safety Tips Amid COVID-19 Pandemic" (CBS Philly, March 20, 2020)
8. Taking a strong stance against the use of force and evictions during the pandemic, demonstrating her commitment to Implementing COVID-19 safety measures to protect employees and the public, such as suspending eviction proceedings and offering safety tips for people experiencing domestic violence:
   • "Philly Sheriff Announces Suspension of Evictions in Light of COVID-19 Concerns", NBC 10 Philadelphia, March 16, 2020.
   • "Philly Sheriff's Office Offers Safety Tips for Domestic Violence Victims During COVID-19 Pandemic", NBC 10 Philadelphia, April 17, 2020.
9. Taking a strong stance against the use of force and evictions during the pandemic, demonstrating her commitment to protecting vulnerable communities during difficult times:
   • "Philly Sheriff's Office Announces Temporary Halt to Evictions Amid Coronavirus Outbreak", WHYY, March 16, 2020.
   • "Philadelphia Sheriff's Office Temporarily Suspends Evictions", CBS Philly, March 16, 2020.
10. Introducing new training programs aimed at improving the professionalism and performance of Sheriff's Office staff, such as a new training program for deputy sheriffs focused on courtroom testimony:
    • "New Deputy Sheriff Training Program Focuses on Courtroom Testimony", NBC 10 Philadelphia, September 9, 2021.
11. Creating a constituent services office and community outreach plan that has raised awareness about the operations of the Philadelphia Sheriff’s Office, provided food to over 20,000 families, and offered free gun locks to the community to promote gun safety:
    • "Philly Sheriff Launches Community Outreach Initiative", KYW Newsradio 1060, August 7, 2020.
    • "Philly Sheriff's Office Offers Free Gun Locks", NBC 10 Philadelphia, August 11, 2020.
    • "Philadelphia Sheriff's Office Gives Out Food To Families In Need", CBS Philly, January 25, 2021.
12. Prioritizing community engagement and outreach, working closely with community groups and leaders to address issues of concern, such as police reform and gun violence:
    • "Sheriff Rochelle Bilal Is Doing Something About Gun Violence. It's Just Not the Thing Critics Want", The Philadelphia Inquirer, July 30, 2021.
    • "Philadelphia Sheriff Hosts Summit on Police Reform", NBC 10 Philadelphia, August 28, 2020.
13. Building partnerships with other agencies and organizations to address issues of mutual concern, such as partnering with the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office to launch a program aimed at reducing gun violence:
    • "Philadelphia Sheriff, District Attorney Team Up to Address Gun Violence", NBC 10 Philadelphia, July 17, 2021.
    • "Philly District Attorney, Sheriff Announce Gun Violence Prevention Program", WHYY, July 19, 2021.
14. Implementing reforms aimed at reducing the Sheriff's Office's role in evictions, including a moratorium on evictions during the pandemic and exploring alternative dispute resolution mechanisms:
    • "Philly Sheriff's Office Offering Mediation in Eviction Disputes", KYW Newsradio 1060, November 11, 2020.
    • "Philly Sheriff's Office Extends Moratorium on Evictions Through January", NBC 10 Philadelphia, November 16, 2020.
15. Responding to lawsuits filed against the Sheriff's Office, including a lawsuit challenging the office's practice of detaining people for unpaid debts:
    • "Philadelphia Sheriff's Office Halts Practice of Holding People on Unpaid Debts After Lawsuit", NBC 10 Philadelphia, June 9, 2020.
    • "ACLU, Philadelphia Sheriff's Office Settle Lawsuit Over Controversial Arrests", WHYY, June 9, 2020.
16. In 2022, the Philadelphia Sheriff's Office's Warrant Unit completed over 1,300 arrests, demonstrating their commitment to apprehending individuals facing a warrant.
    • "Philly Sheriff's office completes over 1,300 arrests in 2022," WPVI, January 10, 2023
17. Rochelle Bilal made history as the first African American woman to be elected as the Philadelphia Sheriff in 2019.
    • "Rochelle Bilal Makes History as First African American Woman Elected as Philadelphia Sheriff," NBC10 Philadelphia, November 6, 2019,
18. Rochelle Bilal has implemented a series of policy changes aimed at making the Sheriff's Office more transparent, accountable, and community-oriented, including introducing new hiring practices and promoting diversity within the office.
    • "New Philadelphia sheriff wants more transparency, accountability and diversity," The Philadelphia Tribune, December 6, 2019
19. Sheriff Rochelle Bilal Has Fully Addressed The Report Issued By The Controller’s Office
    • https://phillysheriff.com/press-conference-sheriff-rochelle-bilal-has-fully-addressed-the-report-issued-by-the-controller-s-office/
20. The Philadelphia Sheriff's Office has revamped and released a new website, PhillySheriff.com, to provide critical information to members of the public and conduct awareness campaigns around firing weapons during holiday celebrations.
    • "Philly Sheriff Launches Awareness Campaign To Discourage Holiday Gunfire," CBS Philly, December 21, 2021
21. Rochelle Bilal has been working collaboratively with the City of Philadelphia, as well as state and federal partners, during the COVID-19 pandemic.
    • "Philadelphia Sheriff's Office deputizes community leaders to help enforce COVID-19 restrictions," WHYY, November 18, 2020
22. Rochelle Bilal has taken steps to address the issue of gun violence, such as working with community groups to promote gun safety and partnering with local law enforcement agencies to target violent offenders.
    • "Philly sheriff partners with DA, city officials to curb gun violence," The Philadelphia Tribune, June 14, 2021,