Members of Allegheny County Council held a hearing Wednesday to review an ordinance that would establish an independent, countywide police review board.

Michelle Kenney, the mother of Antwon Rose II — a 17-year-old shot and killed by former East Pittsburgh Police officer Michael Rosfeld in June 2018 — was among those who spoke in support of forming the board.

“Someone has to give the residents in Allegheny County a voice,” Kenney said. “They have to have somewhere to go whenever things go wrong with their local police department.

“And right now, they have nowhere to go. Not just in Antwon’s case, but in a lot of cases. When you go to the police department to complain about a police officer, you’re complaining to a police chief, who’s their friend.”

Discussion around forming a countywide review board to review complaints of alleged misconduct by law enforcement intensified after Rose was killed last year.

Since then, District 10 Councilman DeWitt Walton, D-Hill District, and District 11 Councilman Paul Klein, D-Point Breeze, who co-sponsored the ordinance, held several public meetings to gather input. They introduced legislation to form the board in December.

“This legislation and this effort is in the best interest of Allegheny County, because it elevates the real conversation about how we generate real transformation in our community and the best interests, in my opinion, of all citizens,” Walton said. “It demonstrates the desire, regardless of your perspective, the need for residents to believe that government is working for you.”

All 15 members of council were invited to attend the special committee meeting, but four members — Thomas Baker, R-Ross; Cindy Kirk, R-McCandless; John Palmiere, D-Baldwin; and Denise Ranalli Russell, D-Brighton Heights — were absent.

Council will vote on the ordinance at a Aug. 27 meeting, 5 p.m. in the Gold Room of the Allegheny County Courthouse.

At-large Councilman Sam DeMarco III, R-North Fayette, said he’s been opposed to forming the board since the beginning.

“There are a number of steps in place you can take to be able to get redress if you believe that your rights have been violated,” DeMarco said. “I don’t want any bad police on the street as well. We all want them to be removed, and that’s why the police have the responsibility to weed those folks out themselves.”

If someone isn’t happy with the way their local police department handled an incident, that person can take their complaint to the district attorney’s office, the state attorney general’s office, the U.S. attorney’s office or the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, DeMarco said.

How the board would work

The board would consist of nine voting members — all unpaid positions — nominated by members of county council and the county executive, and confirmed by a council vote.

Currently employed law enforcement officers would not be eligible to serve on the board.

A maximum of two board members could be people who have previously worked in law enforcement, the proposed ordinance said.

Members of the public who spoke out against forming the board said it was a waste of taxpayer money. Some questioned whether citizens who were not law enforcement professionals have the expertise to evaluate claims of alleged misconduct.

Robert Howard, of Marshall, challenged county council to find ways to target municipalities where police misconduct is known to be happening, rather than creating a countywide review board.

“Determine the source of the issues and solve them instead of exploiting the situation with false solutions,” Howard said. “Find out where the problems are and take actions to resolve them immediately.”

The City of Pittsburgh has had a Citizen Police Review Board since 1997.

The countywide review board, which was modeled after the Pittsburgh board, would only have oversight over Allegheny County law enforcement. Any municipality or municipal authority would be allowed to opt in.

This provision would benefit smaller municipalities that may come to rely on Allegheny County law enforcement in the future, said David Harris, a University of Pittsburgh law professor who offered expert testimony to council.

The board would also be a resource for departments that want feedback on their policies, he said.

“It’s a chance to get ahead of problems before they reach a catastrophic stage,” Harris said.

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