In Memory, In Action: A Vigil and Dialogue on Mental Health and Policing Hosted by the Citizens Police Oversight Commission

Philadelphia, PA - To commemorate the five-year anniversary of the police killing of Walter Wallace Jr. on October 26, 2025, the Citizens Police Oversight Commission (CPOC) will host two community events honoring the life and legacy of Walter Wallace Jr. and engaging the public in an urgent conversation about mental health crisis response and policing in Philadelphia.

EVENT DETAILS

Thursday, October 23, 2025 - Walter Wallace Jr. Community Vigil
6:00 - 7:30 PM
Cobbs Creek Park (Thomas Avenue & Cobbs Creek Parkway)

Program Highlights:

• Remarks by Tonya McClary, Esq., CPOC Executive Director; Ewuare Osayande, Esq., CPOC Deputy Executive Director; Gabriel Bryant, Community Engagement Manager, Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual Disability Services. Additional speakers may be announced closer to the event date.

Friday, October 24, 2025 - "Crisis, Care, and Cops: Mental Health Crisis Response in Philadelphia"
2:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Temple Law School, Klein Hall - Room K2A
1719 North Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19122

Program Highlights:

Remarks by Councilmember Jamie Gauthier

• Screening of "The Care Team," a short documentary by the Amistad Law Project
• Panel 1: The state of mental health crisis response in Philadelphia today
  • Moderator: Temple Law and Public Policy Scholar Brooke Hanraty
  • Jessica Bishop, Clinical Director at Broad Street Love, Emergency Department Social Worker at Children's Hospital of Pennsylvania, adjunct professor of social work at Temple University and LaSalle University, founder of Impact, Train, Connect, LLC.

• Molly Candon, Assistant Professor in the Center for Mental Health and the Department of Health Care Management at the University of Pennsylvania
• Lindsey Eshelman, Director of Residential and Crisis Services at JFK Behavioral Health

• • Prince Latif, Mobile Crisis Nurse and Negotiator at Elwyn Inc.
• Panel 2: Imagining and advocating for a better future in mobile crisis response
  • Moderator: Temple Law and Public Policy Scholar Hailey Collins
  • Max Osborn, Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology & Criminology at Villanova University
  • Nikki Grant, Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director of the Amistad Law Project
  • Claire Ryder, Executive Director of the 4^th Branch Institute

Accessibility:
For disability accommodations or interpretation services, please contact [email protected] or call (215) 685-0891 as soon as possible.

Media Inquiries:
Jodie Eichel, Social Media & Communications Officer
(215) 685-0891 | [email protected]

About the Citizens Police Oversight Commission

The Citizens Police Oversight Commission (CPOC) is an independent civilian oversight agency designed to advance the just, transparent, and efficient administration of criminal justice in Philadelphia. CPOC is committed to conducting fair and timely investigations into police conduct, enhancing the quality of internal investigations, and fostering community engagement and trust.