Review board: Chief violated rules with speech at convention

Pittsburgh officials should clarify the city code to avoid controversies like the one that surrounded police Chief Cameron McLay after he spoke at the Democratic National Convention this summer, a citizen review board said this week.

The Citizen Police Review Board adopted late Tuesday a report produced by its executive director, Elizabeth Pittinger, who wrote that she felt Chief McLay violated various local rules and the federal Hatch Act when he spoke in uniform at the convention in Philadelphia.

During that same meeting, the board asked Ms. Pittinger to work with the mayor’s office and city council members to write clearer policies outlining what officers may do while wearing their uniforms and to better define the terms “political activity” and “partisan police activity,” which were key to the review of Chief McLay’s appearance.

Katie O’Malley, spokeswoman for the mayor’s office, said Wednesday, “We are absolutely open to working with the CPRB to establish clarity. Discussions have already begun between Mayor [Bill] Peduto, Director [Wendell] Hissrich and Chief McLay and will continue.”

City code prohibits employees, including police officers, from campaigning for candidates “while on duty, while wearing a uniform or while on City property.” The Home Rule Charter also prohibits them “from engaging in political activity during working hours.”

Ms. Pittinger wrote that although “the substance of Chief McLay’s remarks was apolitical and promoted reconciliation and improved community police relations,” the convention “was a purely partisan gathering” convened to nominate Democratic candidates for office and “influencing the outcome of the impending election of Vice President and President of the United States.”

The city’s Office of Municipal Investigations also reviewed the chief’s appearance and cleared him of accusations that he violated departmental policy and local law.

Chief McLay said Wednesday that if he could approach the convention again, he wouldn’t wear the uniform for the speech and, “We would all be very upfront with what was going to happen, what the vetting process looked like beforehand.”