Radnor Police Banned From Acting On Potential New Anti-Abortion Laws

RADNOR TOWNSHIP, PA — Police in Radnor Township have effectively been stripped of their power to enforce anti-abortion laws in the township.

Radnor's Board of Commissioners Monday voted 4-3 to adopt Ordinance No. 2022-07, which limits actions police can take if and when the United States Supreme Court overturns the landmark Roe v. Wade decision.

Commissioners voted after about half an hour of public comment and about 40 minutes of comments from commissioners themselves.

Commissioners Maggy Myers, Jack Larkin, Moira Mulroney and Lisa Borowski vote din favor of the ordinance, while Sean Farhy, Jake Abel and Anna Marie Jones voted against it.

The new ordinance ensures no Radnor taxpayer dollars will be used for police to investigate, arrest, and criminally charge women accused of getting, providing, or supporting abortion services that are available in Pennsylvania today if the Supreme Court overturns the landmark decision as indicated by the leaked draft decision.

Read the full ordinance below:

Ordinance No. 2022-07

AN ORDINANCE OF RADNOR TOWNSHIP DELAWARE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA, AMENDING CHAPTER 67 OF THE ORDINANCES OF RADNOR, POLICE DEPARTMENT TO PROVIDE FOR ENFORCEMENT LIMITATIONS REGARDING BANS OF CERTAIN REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH SERVICES

WHEREAS, a draft Opinion of the Supreme Court of the United States has suggested that that Court may in the near future overturn its prior decision in Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113 (1973) and its progeny; and

WHEREAS, in the aftermath of the publication of the draft opinion, bans on access to reproductive health services have been proposed at the state and national level;

WHEREAS, it is the intention of Radnor Township to decline participation in any such ban, and to codify and restate reproductive rights as they currently exist to the fullest extent of its authority under the Radnor Township Home Rule Charter; and

NOW, THEREFORE, be it ENACTED AND ORDAINED by the Board of Commissioners of Radnor Township that Chapter 67 of the Ordinances of Radnor Township, titled Police Department is amended to add a new Article II as follows:

SECTION I. Chapter 67, Police Department

Article II: Limitations on Enforcement.

§ 67-10 Limitations on Enforcement related to reproductive health.

No police officer or other person acting under color of law on behalf of Radnor Township or using resources or assets belonging to Radnor Township shall conduct any investigation, make any arrest, file any criminal charges, cooperate with any other officer, agent, agency, or department, or participate in any prosecution in which a person is accused of facilitating, providing, or receiving abortion services with the consent of the pregnant person during the first twenty- four weeks of any pregnancy, or when the life or health of the pregnant person is endangered by continuation of the pregnancy.

SECTION II.

If any part of this ordinance is for any reason found to be unconstitutional, illegal or invalid, such unconstitutionality, illegality or invalidity shall not affect or impair any of the remaining parts of this ordinance which shall continue to be fully operative as if the unconstitutional, illegal or invalid part had not been enacted.

SECTION III.

Any and all provisions of any other ordinance which are inconsistent with the provisions of this ordinance are hereby repealed.

SECTION IV.

This ordinance shall be effective thirty-one (31) days from the date of enactment hereof.