Fraternal Order of Police president Roosevelt Poplar tells Axios the union doesn't plan to cede power to the city's watchdog and is willing to fight in court to prevent the agency from conducting police misconduct investigations.

Why it matters: Proponents of the Citizens Police Oversight Commission say that position leaves residents wondering how the agency can effectively and independently investigate citizen complaints against police officers.

Reality check: Last week, CPOC interim executive director Anthony Erace told commissioners that the watchdog must negotiate with the union for the right to investigate citizen complaints against officers — the latest setback for an agency whose work has been plagued by delays, funding challenges and infighting.

• A contract provision says the police union must provide "written consent" for any "changes necessary to effectuate" CPOC.
• Commissioner Rosaura Torres Thomas said at last week's meeting that Philadelphia residents weren't going to be "too thrilled" to learn CPOC's "hands are still tied" by the union.

Driving the news: While Erace hopes a deal can be struck, Poplar tells Axios the union "hasn't changed" its position on CPOC conducting misconduct probes and remains opposed to the idea.

• Poplar is concerned about the quality of investigators the watchdog may hire and says police internal affairs is "very competent" and better equipped to handle misconduct inquiries despite concerns from citizens about the unit's independence.
• He said the union is committed to taking CPOC to court if needed to ensure the status quo doesn't change.

What they're saying: "You're taking so many bites at the apple when you involve all these other outside agencies," Poplar said. "My mind is made up on that. I don't think they should be doing investigations."

The other side: Erace said the watchdog will begin negotiating with the union at the end of this year to try and reach an agreement allowing CPOC to investigate police misconduct as early as June 2025, when the current contract expires.

• All citizen complaints against police received by CPOC are currently referred back to internal affairs.

Yes, but: Some commissioners who attended last week's meeting believe the city law that established CPOC gives the agency the power to investigate police officers.

• Erace said the collective bargaining agreement supersedes city law.

Zoom out: Philadelphia's watchdog is one of more than 160 civilian oversight agencies operating across the U.S., per the National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement.

• However, fewer than a fifth of those agencies have investigative powers, including the ability to issue subpoenas, per a recent NACOLE survey.

What we're watching: Erace said he feels good about his rapport with union leaders, but is that enough to convince Poplar to change his position?

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Pennsylvanians pony up $0.47 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) on average to charge their electric cars at public stations, Axios Pro: Climate Deals' Alan Neuhauser reports from data gathered by Stable Auto, an EV charger software developer.

• That's above the national average of $0.45 per kWh.

Context: A typical EV with 300 miles of range usually takes about 75-100 kWh to go from empty to full.

The big picture: Charging prices vary widely across the U.S.

• You'll pay three times as much at public charging sites in West Virginia than in Nebraska — a gap that suggests EV charging companies are still figuring out how to price top-offs.

By the numbers: Pennsylvania had more than 47,400 electric vehicles registered in the state in 2022, per the latest Department of Energy data.

• Most EV charging stations in the region are located in Center City.

What we're watching: Over the past six months, more networks have started adopting Tesla's variable pricing model, which accounts for several factors, including site location and time of day.

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👋 Last call! The popular Kensington Quarters in Fishtown is calling it quits on Saturday after a decade in business, plus several reincarnations. The owners will share "future plans for the space" in the coming weeks (Instagram post).

❌ Another Philly Wawa location is closing. The company won't renew the lease for the store near the Philadelphia Museum of Art, which ends in September. It's the seventh Wawa to close in recent years. (Philadelphia Business Journal)

⚖️ The man who allegedly killed well-known journalist and LGBTQ+ activist Josh Kruger in Philly last year is expected to plead guilty to third-degree murder and other charges. Police said the two were in a sexual relationship. Robert Davis is being arraigned in April. (Philadelphia Gay News)

📅 Upcoming events around the city.

Hosting an event? Email [email protected].

Jason Kelce has retired, and his famous Mummers hat is following suit.

Driving the news: Ridley-based designer James May told the Daily Times that he'll stop replicating the championship hat on April 30.

• The Eagles center donned the hat several times, including during the 2018 Super Bowl parade when he gave a speech for the ages.

Behind the scenes: Demand for the sequined and shamrocked green and gold hat hasn't waned since the designer began churning out imitations six years ago. He estimates that he's made between 4,000 and 5,000 hats, per the Inquirer.

What they're saying: The octogenarian designer came out of retirement to meet the demand, but now that Kelce's called it quits, May says it's also time to hang up the hat.

• "My favorite part of making them is seeing how good they make people feel," May told the Daily Times.

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