Pittsburgh city controller calls for changes to police department
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Pittsburgh City Controller Michael Lamb is calling for changes to the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police.
After conducting an audit with the Pittsburgh Citizen Police Review Board, they found some alarming disparities in policing.
In the report, there are 23 recommendations for the police department. According to the police, many of them can be worked on to improve their services.
One of the biggest numbers was the policing of marijuana.
The city has decriminalized small amounts, but the state and federal levels have not. That leaves charges up to the officer. The report says 85% of marijuana arrests in the city were African Americans.
"That can't' be right. That shows the need for change. It shows an inequity," Lamb said.
Other calls for change include allowing the Pittsburgh Citizen Police Review Board to audit body camera footage and monitoring officers for being connected to hate groups.
"Screening it in the course of their employment is a check and a balance to ensure the standards are being upheld," Lamb said.
For some advocacy groups, the recommendations leave a lot to be desired. Fawn Walker-Montgomery, with Take Action Mon Valley, said relations are beyond repair. She said a better recommendation would have been for officers to learn to deal with underserved communities.
"Because it's been proven that the issues with police have been with communities of color, the LGBTQ+ community, trans community," Walker-Montgomery said.
Her organization advocates for defunding of police toward abolition.
"Built back up with the people in mind," Walker-Montgomery said.
For 22 of the recommendations, the police department agreed. It disagreed with the audit of body camera footage because of state law.
Mayor Ed Gainey's office sent this statement:
"If we are going to make Pittsburgh into a city where everyone here feels safe and welcome, than we must begin to improve community police relations. This audit, our transition report, our meetings with every police zone and unit, as well as the input we have received in community meetings with key stakeholders will serve as guideposts for us as we finalize our plans on policing and public health and safety. We look forward to releasing our plans in the coming weeks and hope to begin a robust conversation about our vision for making Pittsburgh into the most welcoming and safe city in America where everyone who lives here and works here can thrive."
"We've also got a lot of work to do in getting to a point where we have a city and police response that doesn't just protect and defend but do so in a fair and equitable way," Lamb said.
To see the full report and all 23 recommendations, click here.
