Council passes domestic abuse policy for police

In June, three out of four newly promoted Pittsburgh City policemen were accused of having… In June, three out of four newly promoted Pittsburgh City policemen were accused of having histories of domestic violence.

Since then, Mayor Luke Ravenstahl has been working to pass zero-tolerance legislation and add a domestic abuse policy to the Pittsburgh City Code. This week, City Council unanimously passed the domestic abuse policy for the bureau of police.

“It is my honor now to sign into law the policy that so many in this room worked so hard to achieve,” Ravenstahl said Tuesday as he signed the legislation with council president Doug Shields, the bill’s sponsor. The mayor’s office scheduled the signing to thank council and various women’s groups for their support and effort culminating in the legislation.

The legislation requires that any officer with “a pattern of abusive behavior,” as noted by a supervisor, must undergo a psychological exam and counseling.

The behavior must be reported to the chief of police, deputy chief of police, involved officer’s assistant chief and commander, and the director of public safety.

If an officer is accused of domestic abuse, an immediate review is conducted.

First, a police supervisor must investigate at the scene and decide whether or not to remove the weapon.

The chief of police must also ask the Office of Municipal Investigations for a review and the newly created internal Police Bureau Domestic Violence Review Board will meet for further deliberation.

If the officer is found not guilty, he is permitted to keep his weapon. In the time between accusation and arrest, the police chief decides whether or not the officer is permitted to carry his weapon.

If the officer is found guilty in a criminal court, he is not able to own a weapon. If he is not able to own a weapon, he is not able to perform his police duties and therefore will not be able to work.

“It’s the same as if an officer is injured,” Shields explained. “If you’re not legally able to carry a firearm, you can’t work. The only way you can present yourself as available for duty is having a gun.”

The legislation also bans the hiring of candidates with histories of violence.

Shields responded to some people’s apprehension about the bill.

“While police officers may say they’re being singled out, we’re saying yeah, the citizenry has given you broad powers. That’s the key to this whole thing,” he said.

“You have the power of arrest, you have the power of weapon, you know how to make evidence appear and disappear.

“That’s why there’s a uniqueness to it,” Shields said.

“We’ve invested the police officers with amazing powers including the license to kill if need be. By usage of those powers they are going to be treated differently.”

The new law defines abuse as “the occurrence of one or more of the following acts between ‘family or household members.’ “

Those acts include rape, serious bodily injury, sexual assault, indecent assault, physically or sexually abusing minor children and “placing another in reasonable fear of imminent serious bodily injury.”

The law defines domestic abuse as: “A pattern of abusive behavior which keeps one partner in a position of power over the other partner through the use of fear, intimidation and control.”

The law also states that the domestic abuse cannot be done in the name of self-defense and gives examples of domestic abuse such as physical injury, sexual, psychological or emotional abuse, physical restraint, stalking, death threats or death.

This measure was supported by several citizens who attended city council’s meeting last Wednesday and spoke before the preliminary vote.

“We can make Pittsburgh the first city in this nation where domestic violence does not exist,” one citizen said.