Philly PD Sets Transgender Contact Policy

The Philadelphia Police Department will soon implement a new set of guidelines for how officers interact with transgender people.

Deputy Commissioner Kevin Bethel worked with members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community to fine-tune the nine-page directive, police spokesman Lt. John Stanford said.

"The times have evolved, and not just within the Police Department," Stanford said yesterday. "You see it across the board in so many different areas. We have to learn to adapt to the times."

The policy, a copy of which was obtained by the Daily News, offers basic definitions of transgender men and women, and how best to sort out names and identities during interviews or arrests.