by Rob Taylor Jr.
Courier Staff Writer
Could there be a Civilian Police Control Council, the first of its kind in the nation, in Pittsburgh?
Why not, says Randall Taylor.
“All of us know we want to have more say in the police, so how do you do that? The only way we could do it is to have a democratically-elected body that would be in charge of all aspects of policing—hiring, firing, discipline, budget, but particularly decisions made about how, where and when we police our communities,” the longtime activist said during a press conference at Freedom Corner, June 17.
Taylor, who is a leader in the “Pittsburgh for Community Control Over the Police” movement, said that Mayor Bill Peduto and City Council haven’t done enough to address police violence, and that over-policing has failed to reduce poverty-driven crime. Taylor, who’s a former board member of the Pittsburgh Public Schools, sees this Civilian Police Control Council as working in a similar capacity in the public safety realm. While there is a superintendent of schools in Pittsburgh, that person ultimately answers to the school board. If Taylor has his way, the police chief of Pittsburgh would answer to the new Civilian Police Control Council.
“Right now there are only two voices that are heard in the City of Pittsburgh on police policy, and that’s the mayor and head of the fraternal order of police,” Taylor told reporters. “Now, (if the Civilian Police Control Council is created), we would not only have nine new elected people in the room, but also, the citizens of this city will get a chance to vote for a representative that will be responsible for public safety in this city.”
Pittsburgh for Community Control Over the Police had about 20 people at Freedom Corner on June 17, most of whom are being tasked with gathering 25,000 signatures, or double the 12,500 needed for the question to be on the November election ballot. The group said 500 signatures had already been gathered as of June 17.
The Civilian Police Control Council’s electoral structure would be as follows: elected members would serve four-year terms; elected Council members shall number one from each City Council district (9 total); candidates must reside within the city for at least one year prior to seeking office and be at least 18 years old by election date; candidates cannot run for the Council if they are currently employed by the city and within the police bureau, holds public office, is employed by the Allegheny County DA’s office or serves in any other civil servant position; candidates cannot be convicted of bribery, embezzlement, extortion, perjury or other corruption-related offenses; candidates must disclose any personal, professional or financial conflicts of interest that could hinder the individual’s performance as a Council member.
Taylor said if the new Council is created, it would, in effect, replace the Civilian Police Review Board that’s currently in operation. When Taylor was asked at the news conference why Pittsburgh City Council couldn’t just become the de facto Civilian Police Control Council instead of creating a new entity, Taylor responded: “City Council has long been taken out of the issues of policing (in Pittsburgh), and they would tell you.”
Taylor added: “This is not an anti-police thing. This is about building a new city and we need communities to feel comfortable with the police and policing taking place in our community and that is not the case now and that’s not been the case, ever…We believe that the issue of public safety is so important, that we should create a separate governmental body whose sole responsibility is keeping our city safe.”
RANDALL TAYLOR, with Pittsburgh for Community Control Over the Police, says it’s vital to the future of public safety in the city that there is a “separate governmental body” that controls it. (Photo by Rob Taylor Jr.)
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