Editorial: The case of quaffing cops and the reason for rules

It is important to follow the rules — especially when enforcing the rules is your job.

That is why the idea of Pittsburgh police officers drinking on the job is enough to draw attention.

Reports arose that a group of 17 officers who were working on election night ended up drinking in a South Side bar later in the evening.

OK, now let’s have a little perspective. The idea isn’t that the officers did anything terrible while they were at the bar. This isn’t a situation like the Kopy’s incident in October 2018, when four plainclothes officers spent hours drinking before getting into a fight with a group of bikers.

The story doesn’t suggest that officers were drinking while actively performing tasks like containing crowds or directing traffic. It’s just a bunch of people who work together deciding to drink together on a night a lot of people around the country were probably doing the same.

In fact, according to Citizens Police Review Board Executive Director Beth Pittinger, the night was quieter than expected, fewer officers were needed than anticipated and the overflow were allowed to go. Instead, they went to a bar while still on the clock.

There definitely are issues to unpack there, but they seem like time-clock issues or the kind of thing that should be handled internally. They are, according to the Public Safety Department. Spokeswoman Cara Cruz said immediate action was taken and violations would result in discipline.

CPRB is passing on digging into the reports. That is fine. The important thing is it is being addressed.

The incident outlines exactly the kind of response that should happen when police officers — or government officials of any kind — face accusations of misconduct big or small.

It should be reported. It was. The reports should be pursued. They were. They should be directed to the appropriate body for the proportionate response. That is happening.

It should not go beyond that and it isn’t.

Police have to follow the rules. They do not have to be singled out for excessive attention when they stumble.

They should, however, have the kind of pointed comments directed at them that we all might get at work for a gaffe. In the great scheme of potential police problems, this is a really small fish. But sometimes it’s the little things that trip you up.

This isn’t an issue that should have taken the officers by surprise. The Kopy’s incident still is fresh in memories. In October, new rules were issued for on-duty drinking on undercover assignments like nuisance bar investigations.

This was a dumb mistake and it is being handled as such. It isn’t being ignored, but appropriately, there also isn’t overreaction.

Let’s hope the police follow Pittinger’s recommendation.

“After all this about drinking while on the job — I mean, come on, guys,” she said. “Grow up.”