Pittsburgh police commander faces wiretapping allegations
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Allegheny County Police confirmed Monday they have launched a criminal investigation into wiretapping allegations against a Pittsburgh police zone commander who temporarily has been removed from his post.
Pittsburgh police have placed Zone 2 Cmdr. Matthew Lackner on paid administrative leave “pending the completion of an internal investigation,” police spokeswoman Cara Cruz said Monday.
“Beyond that we cannot comment on personnel matters,” she said.
An acting commander, who Cruz did not name, currently is running zone 2, which includes Downtown, the Strip District and part of the Hill District, the city’s website said.
A police source told Tribune-Review news partner WTAE that Lackner planted a body camera in an officer’s cruiser to spy on them. Other sources said this involved more than one officer on more than one occasion.
Allegheny County Police spokesman Jim Madalinsky confirmed Monday that the Green Tree-based force “has been requested to conduct a criminal investigation into this incident,” but declined further comment.
“It remains an active investigation and more information will be released when appropriate,” Madalinsky said.
Pennsylvania is a two-party consent state, meaning all parties involved in a conversation must consent before the conversation can be recorded. It is unclear if Lackner allegedly recorded video, audio or both.
“It’s going to be far less of a crime just to have the camera on,” retired state police Maj. Frank Monaco told WTAE. “If it’s just a matter of what they’re doing, as opposed to what they are saying, is what I would think, and I have no specifics here to discuss it, but the conversation and the privacy issue is always a huge thing.”