District attorneys across the state are stepping in front of what Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan says is among the most salient law enforcement issues of this generation: police-involved shootings.

New guidelines from the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association are outlining how police shootings should be investigated (by an independent law enforcement agency) and when officers involved should be identified to the public — only if they face criminal charges, according to a Philadelphia Inquirer report by Laura McCrystal.

The group says its bold recommendations are the first in the entire nation. They advocate:

• using technology such as 3D mapping to process the shooting scene
• offering counseling to officers involved
• leaving the police union out of the investigation
• making a “very case-specific decision” about whether to release audio or video footage
• releasing information to the public after the investigation is complete

Read more specifics about the PDAA guidelines and the state of police-involved shootings in the Philadelphia Inquirer here.