Past-Due Bill: Activists worry delays could hamper police-accountability measure
Supporters of a long-debated police-accountability bill say they're fed up with months of legislative delays.
The postponements, they say, are nothing more than a tactic to force Pittsburgh city councilors into watering down
the measure or, worse yet, voting against it.
"There is a lot of bullying going on," says Beth Pittinger, executive director of the Citizen Police Review Board, who
helped craft the legislation. "The longer things are drawn out, that looks like an opportunity to strong-arm people
on the vote."
Born out of the controversial arrest of Homewood teen-ager Jordan Miles in January 2010, the legislation would,
among other things, require the police department to release information about citizen complaints against officers.
The bill, drafted with the help of legal experts and community activists, would also require the chief of police to
"prescribe the on-duty and off-duty conduct of Pittsburgh police officers," as well as stipulate how and when strip
searches can be conducted by police.
Click Here for full article
Bill 2010-0234 WILL IMPROVE COMMUNITY-POLICE RELATIONS
Support the ‘Police Reporting and Accountability Bill’ #2010-0234
Bill 2010-0234 would help to rebuild public confidence in the city police force.
Bill 2010-0234 would create new police accountability policies and important new reporting requirements for Pittsburgh Police, which will be published in an annual report to the community.
Bill 2010-0234 was created with input from law enforcement experts and community activists who are supporters of effective policing.
Bill 2010-0234 would increase public safety and reduce racial profiling and other police misconduct by shining a light on all police interactions with the public; including all pedestrian stops, stop and frisks, and traffic stops broken down by race age and gender of the person stopped. http://wgbn.net/default.htm.
This bill will not pass without your support!
§Call your
City Council member! Tell him or
her that you are a voting constituent and you want them to support Bill
2010-0234. CALL NOW!
Darlene Harris,
District 1: 412-255-2135 darlene.harris@city.pittsburgh.pa.us
Theresa Kail-Smith, District 2: 412-255-8963 theresa.kail-smith@city.pittsburgh.pa.us
Bruce Kraus, District 3: 412-255-2130 bruce.kraus@city.pittsburgh.pa.us
Natalia Rudiak, District 4: 412-255-2131
natalia.rudiak@city.pittsburgh.pa.us
Doug Shields, District 5: 412-255-8965 doug.shields@city.pittsburgh.pa.us
Daniel Lavelle, District 6: 412-255-2134 daniel.lavalle@city.pittsburgh.pa.us
Patrick Dowd, District 7: 412-255-2140
patrick.dowd@city.pittsburgh.pa.us
Bill Peduto, District 8: 412-255-2133 bill.peduto@city.pittsburgh.pa.us
Rev. Ricky Burgess, District 9: 412-255-2137
ricky.burgess@city.pittsburgh.pa.us
Contact all of the members of City Council and let them know that you want them to support Bill 2010-0234
Go to http://www.city.pittsburgh.pa.us/council/html/map_of_districts.html
§Forward this
message to neighbors, friends and co-workers!
For more
information, contact:
Ngani Ndimbie, Community Organizer
ACLU of Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh Office
(412) 681-7736 x 22; NNdimbie@aclupa.org
Craig Stevens, Co-Chair, Public Policy Cmte
Alliance for Police Accountability
(412) 760-6478; craig_stevens@verizon.net
Tim Stevens, Chairman, Black Political Empowerment Project (B-PEP)
412-758-7898 b-pepinfo@b-pep.net, tim.stevens2@hotmail.com
Summary of Public Safety Legislation Related to Police Accountability (2010)
(Also known as the Jordan Miles Public Safety Reform Agenda)
2010-0107: Video cameras in police cars
Ordinance amending the City Code at Title Six: Conduct, Article VIII: Privacy Policy for Public
Security Camera Systems, by adding Chapter 652: Police Recording Devices.
Whereas, Police Car video equipment can facilitate the collection of evidence for
criminal prosecution or complaint investigation and can be used by the Police as
a training tool for officer safety and best practices, and;
Whereas, Police car video equipment provide a measure of accountability for
the conduct of both police officers and the public, and;
Whereas, Police Car video equipment helps build community trust by providing
"objective evidence" of police encounters with residents, thus both protecting
citizens and shielding officers from false accusations.
Sponsors: Reverend Ricky V. Burgess, Theresa Smith
Introduced: 2/2/2010
Status: Passed as amended 7/27/2010
2010-0108: Accreditation
Resolution supporting the Bureau of Police's progress in attaining PLEAC accreditation and
requesting quarterly updates until said accreditation is achieved.
Sponsors: Reverend Ricky V. Burgess
Introduced: 2/2/2010
Status: Passed as amended 7/27/2010
(Note: Police accreditation was first required by the City Code in October 1996 (Bill 1996-0916)
2010-0109: Applicable Incidents Requiring Paid Administrative Leave.
Ordinance amending the Pittsburgh City Code, Title I, Administrative, Article VII: Procedures,
Chapter 160, Investigations of Police Conduct, by adding Section 160.02, Applicable Incidents
Requiring Paid Administrative Leave.
“Applicable Incident” shall be defined as any incident involving the use of force by a
Bureau police officer or officer(s) acting in an official law enforcement capacity.
Sponsors: Reverend Ricky V. Burgess
Introduced: 2/2/2010
Status: Passed as amended 7/27/2010
Click Here for more information on the Legislation Summary or
to view the Legislation Details click here
A CALL TO ACTION!!
August 23, 2011
Dear Community Partners,
The Black Political Empowerment Project (B-PEP), in association with the Black &White Reunion, the Alliance for Police Accountability (APA) and the ACLU of Pennsylvania have been working together with Pittsburgh City Councilman Rev. Ricky Burgess for the past several months to draft the “POLICE REPORTING AND ACCOUNTABILITY’ legislation (bill# 2010-0234). In 2010 we were able to assist in the passage of three pieces of police reform legislation in response to the beating of CAPA High School honor student, Jordan Miles. This fourth piece has required a total of about seventeen (17) meetings. There have been many delays but NOW is the time for ACTION!
We now are calling upon YOU and our community partners to be present in City Council Chambers located in the City County Building on Wednesday, September 7, 2011 at 10 am to show your support for this important bill. You will have up to three minutes each to share your concerns about police community relations in Pittsburgh and the need to pass this reform legislation. The bill written in part by community advocates calls for the reporting by police of ‘stop & frisks’ and “pat downs” which are currently not required. The presence of a large number of Pittsburgh voters WILL make a difference. We anticipate a vote on this bill on this date! Please mark your calendars now and please plan to be present.
THANKS SO MUCH for your anticipated support! Feel free to contact B-PEP at 412-758-7898!
Sincerely,
Tim Stevens, Chairman
The Black Political Empowerment Project (B-PEP
Pitt Library System Opens Archives of 4 African American Pittsburghers to Public
A closer look into the lives of four prominent Black men from Western Pennsylvania who made important contributions to U.S. history is now possible as a result of new collections made available through Pitt’s University Library System (ULS).
Pitt graduate students, under the supervision of Pitt archivist Wendy Pflug, have spent the past 12 months organizing and cataloging the personal papers of:
Frank Bolden (1914-2003), world-renowned war correspondent for The Pittsburgh Courier newspaper;
K. Leroy Irvis (1919-2006), legendary Pennsylvania legislative leader;
Percival L. Prattis (1895-1980), journalist with The Pittsburgh Courier and the first Black reporter to gain access to the U.S. House and Senate press galleries; and
Tim Stevens (1945- ), past president of the Pittsburgh branch of the NAACP.
“This project represents a significant effort on the part of the ULS Archives Service Center to preserve, organize, and make available a key body of material for the further study of the contributions to American history made by these important men,” said ULS director and Hillman University Librarian Rush Miller.
The four collections represent almost 200 linear feet of biographical information, correspondence, subject files, scrapbooks, images, newspaper clippings, and other materials. They are housed at Pitt’s Archives Service Center, 7500 Thomas Blvd., Point Breeze. Researchers wanting to view a collection are asked to call ahead at 412-244-7091 so an archivist is available to assist.
The ULS has finding aids in place that offer detailed information about the contents of the collections. Information on the individuals and their collections follows.
Frank Bolden
The papers of this world-renowned journalist document his career as a feature writer for The Pittsburgh Courier and as one of the first World War II correspondents accredited by the U.S. Department of War. Because of racial segregation in the military, Bolden was only permitted to cover African American units. His articles, which described the bravery of soldiers in the 92nd Infantry Division in Italy, helped debunk the myth that Black soldiers could not handle the stress of combat. Bolden, who earned a bachelor’s degree from Pitt in 1934, returned to The Courier in 1945 as a features writer after declining offers from Life magazine and The New York Times. He also covered the cultural and social life of the Hill District and was The Courier’s city editor from 1956 to ‘60.
K. Leroy Irvis
One of Pennsylvania’s most prominent politicians, Irvis represented Pittsburgh as a Democrat in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 1958 to 1988. Among Irvis’ many achievements was his election as Speaker of the House in 1977, the first Black to hold that position in any state legislature in the United States since Reconstruction. Prior to his successful political career, Irvis worked as a teacher, Pittsburgh steel worker, editor, civil rights worker, news commentator, law clerk, assistant district attorney, civilian attaché to the U.S. War Department, and author. He was a 1969 graduate of the Pitt School of Law. This collection contains a wide variety of materials, including the piece of legislation Irvis sponsored that made Pitt a state-related institution in 1966, as well as other legislative papers and photos, publications, correspondence, and campaign literature.
Percival L. Prattis
This collection contains documents relating to the life and career of Prattis, former executive editor of The Pittsburgh Courier. In that position, he highlighted the struggles of Blacks for fair employment opportunities, from teaching positions to sports. Prattis also had duties as a Courier reporter and was dispatched on international assignments to the Middle East, Far East, and post-World War II Europe. During World War II, he traveled extensively, covering the Black Armed Forces. In 1947 he was one of the first Black journalists unanimously granted membership in the U. S. Senate and House press galleries. Material in this collection dates from 1916 to 1980 and includes correspondence, financial reports of the Courier, drafts of articles and stories, scrapbooks, and photographs.
Tim Stevens
This collection documents the life and career of Stevens, who has remained a prominent figure in the Pittsburgh community for decades. Raised in the Hill District, Stevens earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in urban and regional planning from Pitt. He has served as both executive director and president of the Pittsburgh branch of the NAACP. Stevens founded the Black Political Empowerment Project (B-PEP), an organization aimed at promoting Black involvement in local, state, and national elections. Stevens also is a well-known jazz performer and vocalist. He has released several albums, both solo and with his ensemble, the Tim Stevens Project, and has written a variety of songs, including one recorded by Nancy Wilson. This collection contains correspondence, meetings minutes, brochures, flyers, personal notes, news articles, memos, cassette tapes, VHS tapes, and photographs.
The ULS is the 23rd-largest academic library system within the United States. Under the administration of the Hillman University Librarian and ULS director, it includes 21 libraries and holds more than 6.2 million volumes and world-class specialized collections, among them the Archive of Scientific Philosophy and the Archives of Industrial Society, as well as major foreign-language materials from around the world totaling 1.4 million volumes. The ULS offers state-of-the-art facilities and services, with innovative digital library collections and capabilities.
PRELIMINARY VOTE ON POLICE REPORTING & ACCOUNTABILITY BILL
SCHEDULED FOR WEDS., OCTOBER 5, 2011
WE NEED YOU NOW!!!
‘A COMMUNITY CALL TO ACTION!!!”
The Black Political Empowerment Project (B-PEP), the Black & White Reunion, the Alliance for Police Accountability (APA) and the ACLU call upon all of our religious and community leaders, and interested citizens to be present in City Council Chambers on WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011 at 10 am to speak in support of the Police Reporting and Accountability legislation, bill #2010-0234. The original bill was first introduced by Councilman Rev. Ricky Burgess on March 16, 2010 following earlier requests for police reform from B-PEP, the Black & White Reunion and CAPA High School students. There have been numerous meetings and City Council presentations over this past year and a half. In recent weeks there have been at least four negotiation sessions involving members of the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police Administration, the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), City Council members, the Citizen Police Review Board Director and community representatives to complete the work on this important and comprehensive bill.
The goal of this bill is to provide a thorough ANNUAL review of the operations of the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police. It is meant to provide both insight into the Bureau and a new level of confidence in the Bureau on the part of the public. I think we have come a long way in producing a legislative package that could help improve police community relations for years to come.
PLEASE BE PRESENT ON WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5th AT 10 AM for the preliminary vote. Mark your calendars for TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2011 at 10 AM for the FINAL vote by the City Council of Pittsburgh! For information call 412-758-7898. (See attached list of contacts for Mayor Ravenstahl and for our City Council members. We ask that you communicate your support of this legislation in ADVANCE of the October 5, 2011 vote.)
THANK YOU!!
Tim Stevens, Chairman, The Black Political Empowerment Project (B-PEP)
Click Here for the City Council contact list
Summary of Public Safety Legislation Related to Police Accountability (2010)
(Also known as the Jordan Miles Public Safety Reform Agenda)
2010-0107: Video cameras in police cars
Ordinance amending the City Code at Title Six: Conduct, Article VIII: Privacy Policy for Public
Security Camera Systems, by adding Chapter 652: Police Recording Devices.
Whereas, Police Car video equipment can facilitate the collection of evidence for
criminal prosecution or complaint investigation and can be used by the Police as
a training tool for officer safety and best practices, and;
Whereas, Police car video equipment provide a measure of accountability for
the conduct of both police officers and the public, and;
Whereas, Police Car video equipment helps build community trust by providing
"objective evidence" of police encounters with residents, thus both protecting
citizens and shielding officers from false accusations.
Sponsors: Reverend Ricky V. Burgess, Theresa Smith
Introduced: 2/2/2010
Status: Passed as amended 7/27/2010
2010-0108: Accreditation
Resolution supporting the Bureau of Police's progress in attaining PLEAC accreditation and
requesting quarterly updates until said accreditation is achieved.
Sponsors: Reverend Ricky V. Burgess
Introduced: 2/2/2010
Status: Passed as amended 7/27/2010
(Note: Police accreditation was first required by the City Code in October 1996 (Bill 1996-0916)
2010-0109: Applicable Incidents Requiring Paid Administrative Leave.
Ordinance amending the Pittsburgh City Code, Title I, Administrative, Article VII: Procedures,
Chapter 160, Investigations of Police Conduct, by adding Section 160.02, Applicable Incidents
Requiring Paid Administrative Leave.
“Applicable Incident” shall be defined as any incident involving the use of force by a
Bureau police officer or officer(s) acting in an official law enforcement capacity.
Sponsors: Reverend Ricky V. Burgess
Introduced: 2/2/2010
Status: Passed as amended 7/27/2010
Click Here for more information on the Legislation Summary or
to view the Legislation Details click here
Community Leaders Rail Against WYEP Move
PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
A last call to retain more jazz on public radio in Pittsburgh manifested on Tuesday in a pair of community leaders urging WYEP board members and officials to reconsider plans to drop most of the musical genre when WDUQ's six-decade run ends this week.
Essential Public Media, a subsidiary of WYEP-FM 91.3, will take over 90.5 FM at 12:01 a.m. Friday and will broadcast local, national and international news.
The first program will be BBC news followed by NPR's "Morning Edition," station officials said. More programming details are expected to be released today.
The new station, which has not yet received call letters, will broadcast six hours of jazz programming on Saturday nights -- a decision that has upset many supporters of WDUQ, which aired more than 100 hours of jazz each week along with popular NPR programs.
"Jazz is African-American radio. It's important to their community," said Maryellen Deckard, a region director for Action United, an advocacy group for low- and moderate-income Pennsylvanians. "We need to figure out a better way than just having six hours of jazz on Saturdays."
The drastic reduction is "a slap in the face to jazz fans in Pittsburgh," said Tim Stevens, chairman of the Black Political Empowerment Project.
"You are literally killing jazz for someone like me," Stevens said.
He said he lacks the technological savvy needed to listen to the 24/7 jazz programming the new station will provide on a high-definition radio channel and through its website.
"We're not killing it. We're investing in it to the tune of 174 hours a week," said Marco Cardamone, board chairman of WYEP and Essential Public Media, referring to the continuous jazz on the new station and six hours a week on WDUQ.
Accessing jazz programming through the Internet, a smartphone or an HD receiver "isn't as hard as it sounds," Cardamone said. HD receivers for the home or car can be purchased for about $25.
But the format change was necessary in order for the station to be economically viable, Cardamone said. In addition to paying Duquesne University $6 million for the broadcast license, the new station will have to raise enough money to stay on the air each year, he said. WDUQ has run budget deficits each of the past five years, university officials said.
Essential Public Media received a $500,000 grant last week from the Pittsburgh Foundation, Cardamone said. Including that sum, local foundations have provided at least $4 million in grants for the new station.
Management yesterday met with employees from WYEP and WDUQ.
"They're a group over there that deserves some congratulations. They've been running through a wall themselves," said Lee Ferraro, general manager of WYEP. "And they've continued to produce some quality public radio."
Essential Public Media hired 11 WDUQ workers.
Zappala Urged to press charges
Kim Keenan, general counsel for the National NAACP, joined Pittsburgh NAACP President M. Gayle Moss and State Conference NAACP President Jerry Mondesire to put Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala in a slightly larger spotlight with regard to his pending decision whether or not to charge the three officers involved in the Jordan Miles case.
Joined by Greater Pittsburgh Urban League President and CEO Esther Bush; Black Political Empowerment Project Chair Tim Stevens; Alliance for Police Accountability Brandi Fisher; Rev. Dr. David Thornton, Pastor, Grace Memorial Presbyterian Church; and NAACP Pittsburgh Vice Presidents Connie Parker and Marcella Lee; the state, national and local representatives again called on Zappala to bring charges against officers Richard Ewing, Michael Saldutte, and David Sisak.
After her meeting with Zappala, Moss said he would continue to review the evidence and gave no indication how long it would take. General council Keenan said she had come from national headquarters to meet with the District Attorney because it’s obviously a very important case.
“This is really about the unspeakable. A young man, an honor student, snatched up and beaten until he was unrecognizable,” Keenan said. “Mr. Zappala said he would review the evidence, he has asked for more grand jury testimony, and that’s what we would expect because this isn’t just about Jordan Miles, it’s about children of all colors and making sure they feel safe in their communities.”
Jerry Mondesire said, “We are here in support of the Pittsburgh unit to let the District Attorney know that all 10,000 of the NAACP members in the state are watching.”
“The NAACP is appalled that the U.S. Justice Department ended its investigation into the beating of Jordan Miles without issuing any charges against the officers,” said Moss in a statement released prior to the June 21 meeting. “How can anyone with a conscience look at the photos, know the real story and still say that nothing should happen to those who rendered this terrible beating?”
Miles was arrested by the officers as he walked home Jan. 10, 2010. He tried to flee when first approached, saying the plain-clothes officers did not identify themselves. The officers said he resisted arrest. Miles would up in the hospital with multiple injuries.
District Magistrate Oscar Petite throughout charges two months later of resisting arrest and assault brought against Miles, noting the officers’ statement was tainted and likely perjured.
Zappala deferred any action while federal prosecutors conducted a Civil Rights investigation. On May 5, U.S. Attorney David Hickton said the Justice Department would not bring charges because they could not win the case.
Zappala’s spokesman Mike Manko said the office would examine evidence collected by the FBI and announce a decision when its investigation was complete. As of last week, the investigation was still ongoing, he said.
Additionally Miles has sued the officers, the police department and the city in a civil action. On June 14 his attorney Kerry Lewis said the family had rejected a $180,000 settlement offer from the city.
“This case is about more than money,” he said. “This case is about the policies in place that we believe have to be changed.”
One policy, many would like to see changed is the one that allows police to investigate themselves. In all instances where Pittsburgh police misconduct is charged, the charges are investigated by the bureau’s Office of Municipal Investigation. In criminal cases, the district attorney may or may not bring charges. But because district attorneys rely on police work to bring successful prosecutions, it is often a difficult call.
Until rather recently, the Allegheny County Coroner’s office had its own court, and would investigate officers involved in homicides and did recommend officers be charged in some instances.
Zappala successfully challenged then Coroner Cyril Wecht’s authority to do so, saying it damaged his ability to win convictions.
Pittsburgh also has the Civilian Police Review Board, which looks into cases of alleged police abuse, but it is restricted from investigating anything until OMI has done so. It can subpoena witnesses but cannot compel officers to testify to actions that might later lead to their prosecution.
Pittsburgh Councilman Rev. Ricky Burgess was scheduled to reintroduce legislation June 22 aimed at increasing police accountability by requiring documentation of every interaction with the public, such as traffic stops, whether a charge was made or not.
Council postpones action on police accountability bill
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Pittsburgh City Council on Wednesday postponed for one week a vote on legislation that would require the police department to provide more public information about its activities, including details about citizen complaints and lawsuits against officers.
The legislation is one of several police-accountability bills that followed teen-age student Jordan Miles' confrontation with police on a Homewood street in January 2010.
Under the bill, the police department would be required to expand the scope of its annual report to the public. From now on, the report would have to include information such as the number of complaints against officers and the disposition of those complaints.
"We want Pittsburgh to be the national leader in police accountability," Tim Stevens of the Black Political Empowerment Project said.
Council decided to hold the bill for one week because of concerns raised by city administrators and council members. City solicitor Dan Regan said release of some data would jeopardize public safety or violate employee confidentiality, and Councilman Patrick Dowd said he wants input from rank-and-file officers.
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: Black leaders press for police accountability
Bill Vidonic, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Black leaders on Wednesday angrily demanded Pittsburgh City Council pass additional legislation they said would make police more accountable to the people they serve.
“We want Pittsburgh to be a national leader in police accountability,” said Tim Stevens, chairman of the Black Political Empowerment Project, during a news conference before council’s meeting.
After two hours of discussion, council decided to delay by at least one more week a vote on legislation that beefs up requirements for strip searches, addresses officers’ off-duty conduct and requires the police department to break down traffic stops by race and gender of drivers.
“We all know some good police officers, but it’s just a couple bad officers that seem to mess up the whole apple cart,” said the Rev. James E. Garmon Sr., pastor of Trinity Mission Baptist Church in Lawrenceville.
The man at the heart of the legislation, Jordan Miles, 19, of Homewood, sat silently in council chambers with his mother and grandmother as, one by one, supporters delivered short pleas to city council members. Miles did not speak.
The teenager accused three city police officers — Richard Ewing, David Sisak and Michael Saldutte — of beating him in January 2010. Last month, the city reinstated the officers after federal authorities said they would not prosecute them.
“Why are they not fired?” Stevens shouted three times during the news conference, surrounded by church and civic leaders, mainly from the black community.
Miles’ attorney, J. Kerrington Lewis, told the Tribune-Review that the police department has to undergo changes.
“When an officer meets up with a citizen and they’re feeling cranky, bad or abusive, they can do whatever they want,” Lewis said.
This week Lewis said Miles’ family would not consider the city’s $180,000 offer to settle a federal lawsuit claiming police violated his civil rights.
City council last year approved placing video cameras in police cars, requiring police officials to meet accreditation standards and placing officers on paid administrative leave when they’re accused of using force in cases reviewed by the Office of Municipal Investigations.
City Solicitor Daniel Regan said parts of the latest legislation are troublesome legally. Releasing findings by the city’s Office of Municipal Investigations would fall under personnel matters and would not be open to the public, said Regan, citing one example.
Councilman Ricky Burgess, who sponsored the legislation, said he would continue to push for reform.
“It’s always been my belief that the way to improve public safety is to increase confidence in the police so that the police and citizens can work together to reduce crime,” Burgess said
