Former police officer Rochelle Bilal has won her run for sheriff in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, making her the first female sheriff elected. She ran unopposed.
What We Know:
- In announcing her reason for running, Bilal said: “I’m running to reform the Philadelphia Sheriff’s Office. It’s time our city has someone who will provide equal justice, compassion and opportunity for every citizen living in Philadelphia.”
- Bilal has 27 years of working with the Philadelphia Police Department under her belt. She is also the president of the Guardian Civic League, a nonprofit that represents about 2,500 Black active and retired police officers, and serves as secretary of the local NAACP chapter.
- Bilal defeated two-term sheriff, Jewel Williams in May’s primary race. Williams had been accused of sexual harassment by three women. Now that Bilal is elected, she vows to end sexual harassment and to rebuild the trust with the citizens of Philly. See her campaign video below.
As sheriff, Bilal says that she will police with compassion, help families stay in their homes, provide gun safety, procedures and training, furthering education and introduce reformed programming for people to understand regulations and procedures.
