Police union sues over Philadelphia ban on low-level stops

By CLAUDIA LAUER
The Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police has filed a lawsuit seeking to invalidate a city law banning officers from pulling over drivers for low-level offenses, saying the law illegally preempts existing state laws on traffic violations. The lawsuit was filed in Common Pleas Court Tuesday by the union and several of its leaders as individual citizens of Philadelphia. It argues that the First Class City Home Rule Act prevents Philadelphia from creating a law counter to laws that are in place throughout the rest of the state. A request for comment from the city was not immediately returned. The law goes into effect March 3.