Major personnel expansion proposed for Pittsburgh Citizens Police Review Board

The Pittsburgh Citizens Police Review Board could grow with a proposal expand the staff from six to more than 20, plus add satellite offices in several Pittsburgh neighborhoods.

Voters expanded the board’s power by passing a ballot referendum last November that allows the group to conduct performance audits of the city’s Police Bureau. The referendum also required police officers to participate in the board’s investigations and prevented them from being removed except for just cause.

But with the expanded powers, the board also needs expanded staffing, said Beth Pittinger, the board’s executive director.

“There’s only six of us and with the referendum from last November, it created a whole other level of expectation on the board that we couldn’t possibly manage with just what we have,” she said. “If we wanted to establish the presence people seem to expect of us, we need to have the people and the expertise to do that.”

The proposal, which will be considered by City Council, is described as a “massive re-organization” of the independent review board, which is currently governed by a seven-member volunteer citizen board. There are six full-time staff members.

Under the proposal, the board would grow to include five community advocacy workers, three legal advocacy workers, eight administration and support staff and an expanded investigation unit that would consist of six people.

The extra staffing would be added over a three-year time span, Pittinger said.

“We’re trying to look at it from efficiency and effectiveness, and to fulfill what we believe the people intended,” she said. “It’s time to give this board what it needs to fulfill the mandate it has.”

New roles that would be added to the board include a communications specialist, in-house legal experts who could advise on matters like constitutional policing and community wellness advocates.

Currently, the board maintains an office on Firth Avenue that is not owned by the city. The proposal calls for satellite offices in local neighborhoods, where representatives would be more easily accessible to the public.

They have not yet determined where satellite offices might be, but Pittinger said they would prioritize “the areas where the people and the police officers’ relationship is worthy of attention.”