Pittsburgh Police Chief Cameron McLay is once again coming under fire from rank and file officers, this time it is over an official memo rather than a social media gaffe.
McLay sent a memo to every officer outlining a new policy that all information about police activities must be moved up the chain of command before being released to the public. Officers that leak information could be disciplined.
“A lot of the rules that are already in place in police bureaus around the country have just been protocols within the city of Pittsburgh,” said Mayor Bill Peduto.
On New Year’s Eve, McLay was photographed holding a sign calling on individuals to speak out against racism in the workplace. The sign also carried the hashtag #endwhitesilence, which for many has become an anti-police rallying cry. McLay later said he did not realize there was a hidden meaning to the hashtag and said he did not intend to make such a statement.
Not only has this week’s policy change upset officers, it has also lead to questions about the city’s openness.
“Having information within a public safety bureau, especially within the police, involves lives,” Peduto said. “It not only puts the public’s live at jeopardy but also those officers on the street.”
The Pittsburgh Fraternal Order of Police did not return calls for comment.
Peduto campaigned on the promise of running a more transparent government and has been commended for taking steps in that direction during his first year in office.
Peduto says he knows of no precipitating event that lead to the memo. He believes it is part of a broader review of policy compared to best practices nationwide.
“I think this is just the first of several [policy changes] over the next year.”
Peduto did admit that the policy might also have something to do with the way the police department handled the deaths of Susan Wolfe, 44, and her sister Sarah Wolfe, 38.
The two were found dead inside their East Liberty home on Feb. 7, 2014. When the department released information about the killings, Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala complained that the public statement could have hurt the then ongoing investigation. Allen Wade, 43, of East Liberty, was eventually arrested and charged with murder.
