The Philadelphia police department and the union representing officers are embroiled in a high-stakes battle over the legality and usefulness of making the names of officers involved in shootings publicly known.

According to Yahoo News, Lodge 5 of the Fraternal Order of Police filed an unfair labor practice complaint with the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board last week challenging department officials' recent decision to make the names available.

"This unilateral change is contrary to decades of past practice between the parties whereby the privacy rights of officers were valued and protected," the complaint outlined.

The formal challenge was filed just hours after Commissioner Charles Ramsey announced the department will release the names of officers involved in shootings within 72 hours of the incident unless there is a threat against the officer or family members.

The new policy is in keeping with a Justice Department recommendation that police "share basic facts and circumstances" with communities within three days of a shooting.

Even before police shootings in Ferguson, Missouri and Cleveland sparked public protests and outrage, the veteran Ramsey had requested that DOJ review his city's nearly 400 police-involved shootings since 2007. Among the government's recommendations are the installation of an intensive retraining in the use of force and community-oriented policing in order to ease "significant strife" between the department and community.

The report also pointed out that the department's current system for looking into police shootings lacked consistency, focus and timeliness. It further called for a single, specially trained investigative unit to handle all such matters.

While acknowledging the union's right to take the steps that it has on behalf of its officer, Ramsey told reporters late last week, "I think we're within our rights to take the steps we took, have taken, and are going to take."