Pittsburgh Police


The Pittsburgh Police, officially the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, is the largest law enforcement agency in Western Pennsylvania and the third largest in Pennsylvania. The modern force of salaried and professional officers was founded in 1857 but dates back to the night watchmen beginning in 1794, and the subsequent day patrols in the early 19th century, in the then borough of Pittsburgh. By 1952 the Bureau had a strength of 1,400 sworn officers; in July 1985, 1,200; and by November 1989, 1,040.

Organization

The Pittsburgh Bureau of Police is part of the Pittsburgh Department of Public Safety, along with the Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire and Pittsburgh Bureau of Emergency Medical Services. It is headed by Chief Jason Lando appointed by Mayor O'Connor. The Chief of Police is the top law enforcement agent of the city of Pittsburgh. In the Chiefs council are the positions of
Reporting directly through the Deputy Chief of Police to the Chief are the three active units of the Police Bureau: Operations, Investigations, and Administration. Each one is headed by an Assistant Chief.

Headquarters

The original headquarters were at Sixth Avenue and William Penn Way in downtown. In 1918 it moved into the Pittsburgh City-County Building, 1925 to Water Street, 1960s Grant Street Public Safety Building, and is now quartered at Western Avenue on the Northside.

Operations Unit

Headed by the Assistant Chief of Operations, this unit is the most visible arm of the Pittsburgh Police Bureau. It consists six zones with each zone being supervised by the zone commander, as well as all zone patrol and response operations, SWAT team, Traffic Patrol, and Impound. This is also the unit that does community policing.
In 2010 the average Pittsburgh police zone had 12.8 officers, 2.8 detectives, 1.2 sergeants and.5 lieutenants on duty during any 8-hour shift. Citywide for any 8-hour 2010 shift this translates to 76.8 officers, 16.8 detectives, 7.2 sergeants and 3 lieutenants.
In 1918 the city debuted a mounted squad, having had some mounted officers as early as 1906. Police motorcycles were first used by the bureau starting in 1910.

Investigations Unit

Headed by the Assistant Chief of Investigations, Lavonnie Bickerstaff, this unit overlays the operations staff with the detective and inspector corps of the Police Bureau. Its detective divisions are broken down into the following:
  • Auto Task Force
  • Arson Squad
  • Burglary Squad
  • Crime Stoppers
  • Crime Scene Investigation
  • Dignitary & Witness Security
  • Financial Crimes Task Force
  • Forfeiture
  • Gang Task Force
  • Homicide Squad
  • Missing Persons
  • Narcotics
  • Night Felony Squad
  • Nuisance Bar Task Force
  • Pawn
  • Robbery Squad
  • Sex Assault/Domestic Violence Squad

    Union

Pittsburgh Police officers are members of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 1.

Administration Unit

Headed by the Assistant Chief of Administration, this is the least visible unit of the bureau but one that is possibly the most essential. It consists of eight major divisions.
  • Intel
  • Office of Municipal Investigations
  • Police Academy/Training
  • Personnel & Finance
  • Property Room
  • Records
  • School Patrol
  • Special Events Logistics
  • Warrant Office

    Ranks of the Pittsburgh Police

Structure

  • Jason Lando: Chief of Police
  • Anthony Palermo: Chief of Staff, Commander
  • Vacant: Assistant Chief
  • Martin Devine, Lori McCartney: Assistant Chief
  • Vacant: Assistant Chief
  • Shawn Malloy: Zone 1 Commander
  • Timothy Novosel: Zone 2 Commander
  • Jeffrey Abraham: Zone 3 Commander
  • Stephen M. Vinansky: Zone 4 Commander
  • Lawrence Mercurio: Zone 5 Commander
  • Ray Rippole: Zone 6 Commander

    Police Chiefs

Modern era

Controversies

From 1901 to the early 1990s Pittsburgh Police were unique in having a "trial board" system of discipline.
In 1996, after the deaths of two African American men in Police custody, the ACLU and the NAACP filed a class action lawsuit against the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, alleging a pattern of civil rights abuses. After an investigation, the U.S. Department of Justice joined the suit in January 1997, stating "that there is a pattern or practice of conduct by law enforcement officers of the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police that deprives persons of rights, privileges, and immunities secured and protected by the Constitution and laws of the United States".
After a brief court challenge, the city entered into a consent decree with the federal government in April 1997 that outlined the steps that it would take to improve its conduct. The decree was lifted from the Police Bureau in 2001, and from the Office of Municipal Investigation in 2002. Community activists in Pittsburgh successfully used a referendum to create an independent review board in 1997. A study commissioned by the U.S. Department of Justice in 2001 found that 70% of Pittsburgh's African-American residents believe it either "very common" or "somewhat common" for "police officers in Pittsburgh to use excessive force" and that only 48% feel that the police are doing a "very good" or "somewhat good" "job of fighting crime", while 77% of white residents responded so.
In February 2013, the FBI and IRS seized boxes of documents from police headquarters and the independent police credit union concerning thousands of deposits and withdrawals of taxpayer money from unauthorized accounts. Allegations have been made against former Chief Nate Harper, who was forced to resign on February 20, 2013 due to the FBI and IRS investigations. On March 22, a Federal Grand Jury indicted Harper for stealing over $31,000 in taxpayer money as well as not filing personal income tax returns for years 2008-2011. Harper had various checks deposited into these unauthorized secret accounts that were skimmed off a police fund, and then he used a debit card to withdraw cash as well as use the debit card to spend lavishly on food and alcohol in high-end restaurants, buy a satellite radio, gift cards, perfume, and even an oven upgrade. The full indictment was published by local media.
File:Pittsburgh Police Vehicles.JPG|thumb|Two Pittsburgh Police vehicles parked at Market Square. In the foreground, a Ford Taurus Police Interceptor with the fleet's new livery, while in the background is a Chevrolet Impala displaying the Bureau's old livery.

Uniforms and equipment

Officers generally wear a very dark navy blue almost appearing to be black uniform. Officers with the rank of lieutenant and above no longer wear white uniform shirts, as all officers wear a navy blue uniform shirt, and white shirts and dress blouses are reserved for ceremonial occasions. SWAT and Tactical units wear olive drab green uniforms. Name tags are either embroidered or the traditional nameplate. Some officers will wear a very dark navy blue/black tie, but this is not a requirement for normal duties. They will also sometimes wear a traditional service cap, with a unique Sillitoe tartan. Officers are equipped with O.C. spray, police radio, duty belt, handcuffs, extra ammunition, service pistol, bulletproof vest, baton, first aid kit, and flashlight. Many officers are now carrying tasers.
The new Chief, Public Safety Director, and Mayor along with a department uniform committee have been making a myriad of changes to uniforms and equipment. One of the most visible changes being a black crew neck undershirt in lieu of the previous V-neck worn with the summer short sleeve shirts. This was a compromise after officers were originally told they would have to wear ties with the short sleeve shirts. A controversial change occurred in 2014 when officers were no longer permitted to wear outer ballistic vests as the administration deemed it looked too 'aggressive'. This was reversed and officers are now permitted to wear external plate carriers. The department is planning to implement the use of body cameras on officers, and are already on some officers in a limited trial basis.

Batons

Some officers carry expandable batons, and some officers carry more traditional wooden straight batons. These batons sometimes are connected to a leather strap.

Service pistols

s are usually Glocks. An officer must purchase his/her own service pistol. If officers were hired with the bureau in or prior to the year 1992, they have the option to carry a revolver on duty. Officers hired in 1993 and after must carry a semi-automatic pistol on duty. Prior to 1985 all officers could carry was a.38 caliber 5 or 6 shot revolver. In 1985 the bureau phased in the use of 9 mm semi-automatics to Special Operations and Narcotics units. In early 1990 all officers were allowed and encouraged to carry 9 mm semi-automatics, with the training and ammunition changeover costing the city roughly $2 million.

Hat bands

The Pittsburgh police wear hats with checkered bands, which are dark navy blue and gold in color, popularly known as the "Sillitoe tartan" and named after its originator, Percy J. Sillitoe, Chief Constable of Glasgow, Scotland, in the 1930s. While the checkered band is a common police symbol in the United Kingdom, Australia and some European countries, the Chicago Police Department, Cook County Sheriff's Police, the Allegheny County Sheriff's Office, and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police are the only police forces in the United States that have adopted it as part of their uniforms.
As recently as July 1930, police were required to wear a 13-ounce hat.