Allegheny County citizen police board proposed
Saying that the time is right, Allegheny
County Councilman Bill Robinson on Tuesday proposed the creation of a
countywide citizens police review board, as well as the establishment of a
special prosecutor who could be called upon to investigate instances of alleged
police misconduct.
Still in the earliest stages, the two
separate bills were moved to the public safety committee for debate and
consideration.
Mr. Robinson said he has no timeline in mind
for passage, and there was no significant discussion on either bill during the
meeting.
Afterward, Mr. Robinson said there was no
singular incident that prompted his legislation.
"I've been concerned about this issue
for 20 years," he said. "I think the time is right to do it. I think
there's enough public interest and heightened awareness."
The citizen police review board would be
patterned after the one that exists in the city, Mr. Robinson said, but would
ideally have more input from the community and the judicial system as well as
advocates for police accountability. "I want us to have a thorough and
complete discussion," he said.
Created by a 1997 referendum, in recent
years the Pittsburgh Citizens Police Review Board has lost some of its power.
In 2010, in the middle of an investigation into police activity during the G-20
Summit, Mayor Luke Ravenstahl moved to replace several of the board's members
-- a move some thought was an effort to further undermine it.
"Some people might think the Jordan
Miles situation prompted this," Mr. Robinson said. "It didn't. It
just highlighted for me the need to do this."
Mr. Miles was an 18-year-old high school
senior when, in January 2010, he was stopped by three undercover police
officers in Homewood. He claimed they failed to identify themselves and
assaulted him. The officers, though, claim that they thought the young man was
armed, and that he fought with them as they tried to stop him.
Neither the U.S. attorney's office nor the
Allegheny County district attorney's office filed charges against the officers.
A civil trial on a lawsuit filed by Mr. Miles against the officers is slated to
begin Monday.
In May, Mr. Robinson asked council to look
into whether there was a conflict of interest in the district attorney's office
with regard to investigating alleged police misconduct.
By creating a special prosecutor in
instances involving police officers, Mr. Robinson said, it would give the
district attorney some insulation because the office must continue to work with
law enforcement.
"It would help to restore community
confidence in the process of determining who should be prosecuted and who
should not," Mr. Robinson said.
Mike Manko, a spokesman for Allegheny County
District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr., declined to comment late Tuesday.