Technically he did not become even a Police Officer till December 30th, when the State waived the residency requirements for being a Police Officer in Pennsylvania. This was a legal technicality for Pennsylvania has a law since the Homestead Strike 1892 that all police officer must have lived in Pennsylvania for one year prior to becoming a police officer (unless a written waiver is given by the State). Thus unless you get a waiver from the State, no one can be a police officer in Pennsylvania unless he or she had lived in Pennsylvania for a year. The present Police Chief had been the Police Chief of Madison Wisconsin, thus he was not formally a police officer till December 30th, through he has been running the Department since September.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pittsburgh_Police_Chief
http://www.post-gazette.com/local/city/2014/09/02/Pittsburgh-to-name-new-police-chief-this-afternoon/stories/201409020123
KDKA, the Pittsburgh CBS affiliate report this as being protested by the Police, but no one else does, inlcuding the Pittsburgh Post Gazette.
The National FOP Made a nice statement on this situation, through you have to get around the attacks on the people protesting about police brutality:
Press Release from President Neri
December 23, 2014
Editor:
As police officers, we know that we can never predict what will happen when we put on our uniform each day. This simple fact was made very apparent with the brutal execution of two New York City police officers this past weekend. It was a scene that hit close to home for Pennsylvanians who continue to mourn the death and injury of our officers recently attacked at their own barracks in Blooming Grove.
Sadly, we were reminded again of the evil that exists in this world through events like these. Now more than ever, we need to rally around our brave men and women in uniform.
It's the job of all police officers to rush into danger to help those in need, regardless of personal risk, and they fully accept that risk every day. They face the worst criminals imaginable, and all too often those criminals use violence against police officers.
Nationally, 114 police officers have been killed in the line of duty this year alone. Four right here in Pennsylvania.
Each of these courageous officers from Pennsylvania and New York took a solemn oath to protect and serve their fellow citizens – an oath they honored by giving their last full measure of devotion to fulfill it. Let us always remember our fallen brothers as heroic and humble public servants who laid down their lives to serve and protect us all.
Les Neri, President
FOP, PA State Lodge
STATEMENT OF CHUCK CANTERBURY, NATIONAL PRESIDENT, FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE
DECEMBER 21,2014
Yesterday, NYPD Officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu were murdered in New York City by a coward who invoked race as a motive.
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! Politicians have spent the months since the tragedy in Ferguson piously wringing their hands and bemoaning the lack of trust of police by the minority community. Mayors and Congressmen and Senators and professional racists from all sides have seized on the moment to advance their often self serving opinions of what is wrong in America as a hyperventilating media nods knowingly and faithfully reports each and every word. Enough is enough.
While these politicians and their retinues ignore the decaying infrastructure of our cities, the substandard educational system, the nonexistent families, the poor nutrition, the lack of employment opportunities- all of which create a toxic environment which breeds crime- they focus with laser vision on every real or perceived mistake made by the cops fighting a running battle to keep the streets safe for our poorest and most disadvantaged citizens in our country's worst pockets.
Enough is enough. There's nothing wrong with the way cops do their jobs that won't be fixed when politicians suck it up and attack the problems that breed poverty and crime- but they're not going to do that. The media professes shock when we speak out - well, buckle them on America- you're going to hear a lot from our 325,000 members in the days and months ahead. Some of you may not like it, but you would do well to listen. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH
http://www.pafop.org/In many ways we should back this statement, even the politicians who are being attacked by it, by saying we are for the same thing as the Pennsylvania State Lodge of the FOP, we want such get people to trust the police by showing that if the Police act unlawfully they will be punished. Trust is a two way street, people must believe that the police are there to help them, a position many minority people do not believe. The police MUST build up that trust by turning in those officer who break that trust. Thus the officers in Furguson should go on trial for manslaughter and that charge be brought by the Missouri State Attorney General.
A nice statement like the one above will force the FOP to agree with it, and thus reject their own statement, or accept it and point out the need for accountability.
= new reply since forum marked as read
My uncle has lived in Pittsburgh my whole life. Of course, I love the Stillers
