County council takes first step to create civilian police review board
Allegheny County Council on Tuesday approved legislation allowing its members to begin the process that would lead to the creation of a countywide citizens policereview board.
The board would be staffed by civilians and could independently examine officers’ actions and recommend reforms, training and discipline for Allegheny County’s more than 100 municipal police departments.
Council passed the motion that will start the undertaking, 8-6, in a meeting at the county courthouse that grew contentious over the wordingof the resolution.
The resolution gives members theability to hold up to four public meetings where they can gather information to determine the potentialfor such a board.
“It’s an issue whose time has come,” said Councilman DeWitt Walton, who sponsored the resolution. “We understand that our ability, predicated on home-rule charter, is limited. We cannot mandate boroughs and municipalities to opt in. ... What we can do is work with legislators and create an environment that corrects the problem and moves us forward.”
In Allegheny County, Pittsburgh is the only municipality with an independent citizens policereview board. Past attempts to create a countywide board have failed.
Opponents of a countywide board point to the fact that the county does not have power to make municipalities cooperate with a citizens review board. It would be up to each municipality
to participate voluntarily.
Councilman Pat Catena introduced an amendment to the resolution that would have changed much of the wording and added the phrase “to help determine if the need is warranted in possible formation of a citizen review board ...”
Mr. Catena called the wordingof Mr. Walton’s resolution vague and said that “the intent at the end of the day is the same thing” with hisamendment.
But Mr. Walton strongly disagreed.
“We had almost an hour debate in conference about this amendment. And I begged, I pleaded and I demanded that we not do this amendment,” Mr. Walton said, raising his voice and banging his fist on his desk. “Five words ‘If the need is warranted.’ There’s no damn way that the need is not warranted.”
Mr. Walton’s resolution passed after Mr. Catena’s amendmentfailed, 7-7.
Councilman Paul Klein, one of the co-sponsors of the resolution, said that Tuesday’s vote was the start of a process that should lead to something tangible happeningat the end.
“If we should decide to create such a board, we would in effectbe leading by example,” Mr. Klein said. “Borough and townships could opt into our process, but we cannot compel them. But we need to start. We need to hold hopelessness and helplessness at bayin this dark hour.”
The resolution comes amid renewed calls for civilian oversight of police in the wake of the fatal shooting in June of 17-year-old Antwon Rose II by East Pittsburgh police Officer Michael Rosfeld.
A small rally held outside the courthouse before the meeting activists urged council members to pass the resolution.
“Perhaps Rosfeld would not have shot Antwon Rose Jr. in the back three times if he knew there were people to hold him accountable,” said Khalid Raheem, who has helped organize the Committee for a Civilian Police Review Board of Allegheny County.