On today’s episode of The Confluence: Riverlife released a plan to complete a loop connecting the parks and trails along downtown’s riverfronts, at a cost of nearly a quarter billion dollars; former Pittsburgh Police Chief Robert McNeilly’s book shares insights into policing and his experiences leading the department following the consent decree with the U.S. Department of Justice; and a Pittsburgh artist works with the Mattress Factory to address inequities experienced by Black homeowners.
Riverlife unveils $250 million plan to complete and maintain the ‘loop’ of trails in Pittsburgh
(0:00 - 7:44)
Infrastructure has been the center of attention since President Joe Biden signed the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to support roads, bridges, broadband internet, replacing lead water lines. But what about trails and parks as infrastructure?
Riverlife has released a $250 million development plan to complete gaps in trails and parks on a 15 mile loop along Pittsburgh’s riverfronts. Riverlife’s service area covers a thousand acres of open space, covering trails between the West End Bridge, the Hot Metal Bridge, and 31st Street Bridge on the Allegheny River.
“Our river fronts, just like other parts of infrastructure, need to be accessible and safe and that we need to create spaces that are welcoming for everyone,” says Riverlife President and CEO Matt Galluzzo.
The organization gathered public input on the plan last year, which Galluzzo says was done through surveys and virtual meetings, which had not been a large component of outreach in the past.
In addition to closing gaps, Galluzzo says maintenance “underpins all of [Riverlife’s] goals.”
“We recognize that care and maintenance is not up to standards across the system,” says Galluzzo. “The region is really in desperate need of something new, which is why part of our ‘Completing the Loop Plan’ was really looking at the conditions and making recommendations for how to move forward with a permanent care and maintenance plan.”
Former Pittsburgh Police chief’s book says hiring and training are two of the most important pieces of creating an effective police force
(7:54 - 17:49)
Over the last two years, calls for police reform have intensified nationwide and in Pittsburgh: everything from defunding police departments to taking steps to improve police community relations.
In 1997, the City of Pittsburgh entered into a consent decree with the U.S. Department of Justice. Pittsburgh’s police bureau became the first major department to have such federal oversight.
Robert McNeilly is a 29-year-veteran of the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, serving as police chief for nearly 10 years, including at the time the city entered into the consent decree.
Lawsuits against the department from the ACLU, NAACP and other organizations were filed a week before McNeilly took the helm as chief.
“When I was interviewed for the chief's position, they asked me several questions, and one of the questions they asked me is, ‘What would you do to change the department?’ Well, I pulled out a list I had in my jacket pocket and I started reading,” says McNeilly.
“Within a couple of months, the Department of Justice was doing their investigation. I provided the same list to them that I had provided to my interview. And as it turned out, when we read the first draft of the consent decree, all of my initiatives were included.”
McNeilly says even as a commander, he and his colleagues made efforts to support good officers and discipline those who were creating problems.
In his new book, he highlights four main components to developing an effective police force that provides public safety while protecting and respecting citizens’ rights: recruiting, screening and selection of candidates; the training of officers; supervision so those officers are effective and fair; and, accountability and discipline.
“So if you don’t have the right people on board, then you’re not going to get what you expect out of your agency.”
His book is called, “The Blue Continuum: A Police Chief’s Perspective on What’s Wrong With Policing Today and How to Fix It.”
New Mattress Factory exhibit highlights racial disparities in home values
(17:54 - 22:30)
Years of research shows that homes owned by people of color in the U.S. are over assessed when they’re being taxed, and undervalued when they’re being sold.
90.5 WESA's Bill O’Driscoll reports an artist has found a unique way to highlight the issue. It involves Pittsburgh’s nationally known Mattress Factory museum putting its own money on the line.
The Confluence, where the news comes together, is 90.5 WESA’s daily news program. Tune in Monday to Thursday at 9 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. to hear newsmakers and innovators take an in-depth look at stories important to the Pittsburgh region. Find more episodes of The Confluence here or wherever you get your podcasts.
