Philadelphia’s Landlord and Tenant Office is expected to start conducting evictions again — likely within the next few weeks, according to sources with knowledge of the decision. The move comes roughly two weeks after landlord-tenant officer Marisa Shuter agreed to temporarily stop conducting lockouts following a string of high-profile shootings involving her armed deputies.
In an effort to avoid a massive backlog, the office plans to temporarily employ a group of suburban constables who already perform lockouts, sources say. In the meantime, the courts will continue to work with stakeholders on a permanent arrangement.
Shuter had agreed to suspend all lockouts until she was confident that all of her deputies were “appropriately trained in de-escalation and use of force.” The decision came less than 24 hours after a landlord-tenant officer allegedly shot a 33-year-old woman in the leg during a lockout that turned violent in Kensington. The woman was brandishing a knife, according to a spokesperson for Shuter. It was the third time in four months that a landlord-tenant officer fired a gun on the job.
In late June, a landlord-tenant officer allegedly shot at a dog while serving an eviction in the Olney section of the city. The officer fired his weapon “in defense” after a locksmith opened a door and a dog “charged” at him, according to a police spokesperson.
The dog was not struck, and no one was injured.