Mr. Larry Scirotto, who used to be the Assistant Chief of Police in Pittsburgh, has been appointed the 55th Chief of Police and joined the meeting. CPRB has had a good relationship with Chief Scirotto to date, and he has been an officer for 23 years. He was sworn in as the new Chief of Police on June 8th, so this is his second month of leadership.
Executive Director Elizabeth Pittinger gave an update. CPRB is 26 years old as of Saturday! Pittsburgh has a new chief of police, Larry Scirotto, a former assistant police chief in Pittsburgh who was confirmed today. His declared focus is on resolving staffing issues, as the bureau is 100 officers down right now. Scirotto is talking about launching a new cadet program and getting more involved in recruitment. Other priorities he has expressed interest in publicly are officer wellness, a concern for a long time, and reducing waste by going paperless. Ms. Pittinger remarked that these priorities seem sound. CPRB has not had a chance to meet the new chief yet. The process by which the City hired the new police chief was not transparent, and CPRB is weighing how to proceed.
CPRB is hiring a Community Liaison officer and an Administrative Assistant. Community Liaison - https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/pittsburgh/jobs/4052870/community-liaison Administrative Assistant - https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/pittsburgh/jobs/4054794/administrative-assistant-cprb
Executive Director Elizabeth Pittinger gave an update. CPRB is 26 years old as of Saturday! Pittsburgh has a new chief of police, Larry Scirotto, a former assistant police chief in Pittsburgh who was confirmed today. His declared focus is on resolving staffing issues, as the bureau is 100 officers down right now. Scirotto is talking about launching a new cadet program and getting more involved in recruitment. Other priorities he has expressed interest in publicly are officer wellness, a concern for a long time, and reducing waste by going paperless. Ms. Pittinger remarked that these priorities seem sound. CPRB has not had a chance to meet the new chief yet. The process by which the City hired the new police chief was not transparent, and CPRB is weighing how to proceed.
We have received 77 complaints so far this year. This year four board terms expire: City Council Seat #1 (Ms. Brown), City Council Seat #3 (Mr. Green), Mayoral Appointment Seat #6 (Dr. Darby), Mayoral Appointment Seat #7 (currently held by Mr. Williams, one of two law enforcement professional positions). The coming term is from November 1st, 2023 until October 31st, 2027. If any member of the public is interested in serving, they should contact their City Council representative.
Intake since the year began has been 55 contacts—people seeking help of some kind, either help with filing a complaint or needing referral to the correct jurisdiction. • CPRB has many documents in hard copy that aren’t considered key enough for the City of Pittsburgh’s central archivist to preserve but are important to CPRB for historical reasons and reasons of public trust. • Four-and-a-half months ago, on November 15th, a request was made to the Bureau for copies of training materials and information about staffing over the last two decades. These went unanswered. Mr. Ward is going to reach out to the City Solicitor again via phone tomorrow to try to resolve this. • And more…
The Pittsburgh Citizen Police Review Board is deeply saddened by the news of Alma’s passing but grateful for the legacy she left our city. Executive Director Elizabeth C. Pittinger remembered Alma Fox at the beginning of yesterday’s board meeting, crediting her as one of her mentors. “Alma will never go away. Her immortality is embedded in our community—in what we can do now that we couldn’t do before Alma. Her wisdom is embedded in our worldview and guides our daily work toward equality and justice. She is always near. She’s beside us unseen—but never unheard. She is loved. She is missed. She is forever dear. She is resting in peace and power.”
The Pittsburgh Point of View blog is for the presentation of original, thoughtful, and constructive proposals that promote community well-being and trust between the community and police. Our first guest writer, Chuck Bosetti is a former police officer and freelance writer who examines socio-political influence in policing. Bosetti discusses a community/police partnership model of community support, Neighborhood Response Teams (NRTs). “Neighborhood Response Teams have been successful in other cities for many years. I recommended the approach to the Chief of Police and other community and elected leaders in 2011. The concept was well-received but never implemented.”
Following a final vote on July 21, 2020, the Allegheny County Board of Elections will be adding a referendum question for qualified voters of the City of Pittsburgh to the 2020 November General Election ballot. The question seeks to expand the powers of the Independent Citizen Police Review 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.
Passed: July 21, 1010: “Shall the Pittsburgh Home Rule Charter, Article Two, Executive, be amended and supplemented by amending and adding new language to Sections 229 and 230 and adding a new Section, 231, expanding 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?”
