Row offices should be abolished — starting with the sheriff’s office | Editorial

The chorus of voices calling for the end of two of Philadelphia’s so-called row offices is growing, with the city’s financial watchdog, the Pennsylvania Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority (PICA), the latest to reiterate the need to do away with these vestiges of colonial-era municipal governance.

While the Register of Wills office continues to struggle with allegations of politically motivated firings and patronage hires, it is the ongoing incompetence at the Philadelphia Sheriff’s Office that demands the most urgent attention.

Political leaders in Harrisburg and City Hall should pick up the baton and take action.

On Tuesday, PICA voted unanimously to recommend eliminating both the sheriff’s office and the Register of Wills as elected positions, with their functions absorbed into other city departments.

The authority’s advice comes on the heels of Inquirer reporting that has produced a laundry list of failures under Sheriff Rochelle Bilal, and a renewed effort by the Committee of Seventy, a 120-year-old civic nonprofit organization, to make the case for abolishing the sheriff’s office.

The Inquirer Editorial Board has long supported eliminating these row offices, and there is no better time to act than now — starting with the sheriff’s office.

» READ MORE: History makes it clear: Abolish the sheriff’s office | Editorial

While past sheriffs have embarrassed themselves and the city by engaging in stealing public money, sexually harassing staff, and other forms of misconduct, they also managed to perform the basic duties of the office. Courtrooms were protected, auctions of tax-delinquent property occurred, deeds were processed, and prisoners were transported.

Under Bilal, the office has struggled to function even as the questionable use of public funds has continued.

The sheriff’s office failed to collect weapons from people subject to protection-from-abuse orders nearly 90% of the time, putting domestic violence victims at risk. Under Bilal’s watch, domestic violence homicides shot up by 240%. Even when deputies manage to seize weapons, they often can’t account for them. According to a 2023 city controller report, nearly 200 guns under sheriff’s control were missing.

That one of Bilal’s deputies was caught trafficking firearms, including the guns previously used in the Roxborough High School shooting, compounds the concern over any missing weapons.

Even basic paperwork seems to be beyond the office’s capabilities. Sheriff’s auctions have ground to a halt. Deed recording, a process that should take weeks, is still outstanding months later.

But it is the threat to the city’s judges, courtroom staff, and everyday Philadelphians interacting with the courts that warrant the greatest concern.

Chronic staffing shortages have left the sheriff unable to adequately protect city courtrooms, leading to a rise in assaults and other dangerous incidents, first reported in September by The Inquirer’s William Bender and Ryan W. Briggs.

» READ MORE: Urgent steps are needed after the latest example of incompetence in the sheriff’s office | Editorial

The Administrative Governing Board of the First Judicial District, a panel of judges that oversees Philadelphia court operations, wrote a letter demanding change, with Bilal threatened with contempt if she failed to comply within 90 days.

The sheriff addressed the problem by withdrawing security from the city’s probation offices. The judges then issued a second letter, giving her 30 days to recruit new deputies.

Bilal, as is her pattern of avoiding accountability, turned around and blamed the judges — a particularly galling move after her office spent funds meant to address staffing issues on pay raises for top executives.

The courts have many options, according to legal observers contacted by The Inquirer. They could remove Bilal from office, hold hearings, or put the sheriff’s office itself into receivership. These steps, while they may be necessary to secure short-term goals, do not adequately address the core issue, which is that Philadelphia no longer needs an independently elected sheriff.

That’s why it is time for lawmakers to join in the effort. The office can be abolished by voters via referendum, but only if City Council is willing to ask them. So far, criticism of Bilal has been uncommon in that body, and no member has been willing to stand up for the public interest by supporting abolition.

In Harrisburg, however, Northeast Philadelphia State Rep. Jared Solomon has emerged as a champion of reform. Last year, Solomon urged the courts to act and suggested impeachment. Solomon should work with his colleagues to step into the leadership void created by City Council’s inertia and push to eliminate the office altogether.

Bilal may not be the first sheriff who has poorly served the public trust, but for a better Philadelphia, she should be the last.