Philly police might be stripped of a statewide accreditation. The agency in charge blames a new city law.

The Philadelphia Police Department is in jeopardy of losing a statewide accreditation it’s held since 2015 recognizing its performance and policies — a decision the accrediting agency is blaming on a new city law that bans officers from stopping drivers over minor infractions.

The Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission (PLEAC) said a new city ordinance that prohibits officers from pulling over motorists solely for violations like broken taillights may prevent the Police Department and its 6,000 officers from fulfilling a key requirement of accreditation: enforcing the law.

» READ MORE: Philly has become the first big city to ban minor traffic stops said to criminalize ‘driving while Black’

“It is PLEAC’s position that … members of the Philadelphia Police Department are prohibited from enforcing eight sections of the PA Vehicle Code,” James Adams, accreditation program coordinator, wrote in a letter to Commissioner Danielle Outlaw earlier this spring.

The department’s accreditation status — a professional seal of approval for upholding certain best practices and policing standards — is expected to be discussed Tuesday at a meeting of the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association in the Poconos.

Kevin Lessard, a spokesperson for Mayor Jim Kenney, said Friday that city officials disagree with PLEAC’s position on the effects of the city’s Driving Equality law. The measure reclassifies minor driving infractions as “secondary violations” and says they cannot be the sole reason an officer stops a car. But the law does not ban enforcement, he said — officers can mail tickets or citations to motorists rather than conducting traffic stops.

“It is PLEAC’s position that … members of the Philadelphia Police Department are prohibited from enforcing eight sections of the PA Vehicle Code.”

Despite that change, Lessard said, the Police Department “remains accredited and compliant with all applicable PA State law and Commission Standards.”

Max Weisman, spokesperson for Councilmember Isaiah Thomas, who sponsored the bill that became city law, said the legislation was designed to address racial disparities in car stops for low-level infractions. And the bill modifies, but does not prohibit, enforcement, he said.

“The PA Vehicle Code has not changed and is still enforced by PPD,” Weisman said.

Attempts to reach Adams, of PLEAC, for further comment Friday were unsuccessful. He told the website Broad + Liberty that officers should not be prevented from making legal car stops, saying: “With the rise in crime throughout our nation, why would we prohibit our police from using the lawful tools at their disposal to address it?”

» READ MORE: Philly police union sues over a law that aims to curb traffic stops of Black drivers

The threat against accreditation is not the first brush with controversy for the Driving Equality law. Not long after Thomas’ legislation passed in Philadelphia, the police officers’ union sued to overturn it, saying it violates state law and adversely affects public safety. And in Harrisburg, Republican lawmakers recently added an amendment to traffic enforcement legislation that could force cities like Philadelphia and Pittsburgh to choose between safer bike lanes and driving equity laws.

It was not immediately clear what practical effect, if any, a revocation of accreditation would have on the Police Department, or whether such a move would take effect immediately. PLEAC was also reportedly considering revoking accreditation from the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police over a similar ordinance enacted there.

» READ MORE: You can have nice bike lanes, but only under these conditions, Harrisburg Republicans say

Lessard said although Philadelphia’s department wants to remain accredited — and believes it should — “any loss of accreditation will not impact PPD’s funding or functional operations.”

The department first earned accreditation in 2015. Then-Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey initiated the effort to earn the distinction, which took three years and involved revising policies, standardizing training programs, and updating technical capabilities.

The Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association said nearly 150 agencies statewide are currently accredited, including police departments in Harrisburg, Allentown, Bensalem, and State College.