Voters to decide if Pittsburgh's police review board's powers should be expanded

Voters in the City of Pittsburgh will be tasked Tuesday with deciding if the city’s police review board’s powers should be expanded so police officers are required to participate in investigations.

The group, formally known as the Independent Citizen Police Review Board, also would be allowed to do performance audits of the city’s Police Bureau and members of the board would be prevented from being removed except for just cause, pending approval of City Council.

The measure is part of a variety of police reforms the city enacted this year. Because it would amend the city’s home rule charter, it needs to be approved by voters.

One of the proposal’s supporters, Councilman R. Daniel Lavelle, released a video explaining the question to voters.

In July, council approved placing the question on the ballot: “Shall the Pittsburgh Home Rule Charter be amended to expand the powers of the Independent Citizen Police Review Board to allow the Board to require police officers to participate in investigations, conducting performance audits of the Police Bureau, and preventing the removal of Board members except for just cause and with City Council approval?”

The legislation is supported by council, Mayor Bill Peduto and public safety officials.

Councilman Ricky Burgess has called it an important move toward reconciliation and healing.

The Citizen Police Review Board is an independent agency created and funded by the city.

If the questions passes, police officers and other police bureau personnel would be required to cooperate during an investigation by the board. Refusal would be grounds for firing.

Robert Swartzwelder, president of Fraternal Order of Police Fort Pitt Lodge 1, has previously said the CPRB already has the power to force cooperation as outlined in the bill, but council members and the board’s Executive Director said this would formalize that requirement.

The changes also could expedite investigations by permitting immediate access to evidence gathered by the city’s Office of Municipal Investigations, CPRB Executive Director Beth Pittinger has said.

Under current rules, the board must wait until the city’s internal Office of Municipal Investigation concludes an investigation before the CPRB can review evidence, including statements by officers and witnesses.

Seven city residents serve on the board, which was formed in 1997. They aren’t paid.

The mayor appoints three members and the other four members are nominated by city council. Two members of the board must be law enforcement professionals, but none can be presently employed in law enforcement.

The ballot question is one of many police reforms city leaders took up this summer, spurred in part by community activism since the May 25 killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police.

City council has also created a racial equity commission and committed itself to a 10-point plan to address racial inequities. Council also banned on the use of chokeholds by police and the use of facial recognition software in the city.

The city also created an Office of Community Health and Safety to help deal with problems that are now dealt with by police.