'You can't just flip a switch' Pittsburgh Mayor Peduto says of police reform

As a Black man who grew up in small-town Alabama, Brandon Davis has been hit with a police night stick. He’s been forced to lie down in the mud by police, and he knows what it’s like to lose trust in law enforcement.

Still, Davis, now an assistant professor at the University of Kansas’ School of Public Affairs and Administration, is in a position where he can be part of the discussion about restoring people’s trust in policing.

“We’ve reached the situation now where we’re at a boiling point,” he said.

Today!! @ 12pm: Join the conversation with Pittsburgh Mayor @billpeduto to discuss police reform in Pittsburgh. Professors @dharrislawprof (@PittLaw) and myself (@KUSPAA) will respond. @CGMPitt
Register here: https://t.co/LVwG2YXS4p pic.twitter.com/udyqkTV5Cy

— Brandon R. Davis (@BrandonRDavis3) October 1, 2020

Davis joined a virtual discussion Thursday about police reform hosted by the Center for Governance and Markets at University of Pittsburgh’s Graduate School of Public and International Affairs.

He brought an outside perspective to the forum, which also included Pitt law professor David Harris, who studies police policy and has written extensively on it. Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto and members of his administration also joined the forum.

“How do we build trust?” Davis asked near the end of the 90-minute session. “We have to step back and put in concrete policy solutions.”

Peduto and Harris agreed.

The mayor reiterated his commitment for police reform and outlined the recent changes he’s made to the city’s police department after more than 100 protests have taken place in the city since June. The national outcry began after the May 25 death of George Floyd by Minneapolis police.

Peduto talked about how police response to the protests evolved over time after a handful turned violent and the use of force by police and other tactics were questioned.

He also talked about other community development programs he’s worked on to revitalize communities and rebuild people’s trust in government.

“Trust is built in a long-term relationship,” Peduto said.

Lindsay Powell, assistant chief of staff to the mayor, said the city is working to improve Black neighborhoods and involving the people who live in them in the process.

“Everything starts from there,” Powell said.

The panelists agreed the issues go beyond police reform. They said solving them is going to cost money — something that’s the opposite of a national rallying cry by protesters to defund law enforcement.

Money is needed to build the police department’s Civil Affairs Unit, the team of police that responds to protests by listening to the protesters’ needs, and other programs, Peduto said.

There’s a need for police to respond to crimes and emergencies, the mayor said. There’s also a need for other social service and mental health professionals to become involved and help police respond to the myriad calls they receive daily.

The city also needs to broaden its search for potential police officers to include minorities, woman and people who “have a guardian mentality,” Peduto said. “It’s a culture change within policing.”

State law also needs to be changed so that police who have a track record of misconduct can be fired, Peduto said

Given the national sentiment for reforms, a proposal to change the law may be possible. Peduto said he’s working with legislators, including state Rep. Jake Wheatley, D-Hill District, on proposals to do so.

“I do think there’s a window of hope and opportunity,” Peduto said.

Just as it takes time to rebuild trust, it will also take time to make changes that are needed, Peduto, Davis and the other panelists said.

“It’s going to take years. You can’t just flip a switch,” Peduto said.