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Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Independent Citizen Police Review Board Charter Amendment (November 2020)
| Pittsburgh Independent Citizen Police Review Board Charter Amendment | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Election date November 3, 2020 | |
| Topic Local law enforcement | |
Status Approved | |
| Type Referral | Origin Lawmakers |
A charter amendment to require police officers to cooperate with investigations conducted by the Independent Citizen Police Review Board was on the ballot for Pittsburgh voters in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, on November 3, 2020.[1] It was approved.
A "yes" vote supported amending the city charter to require police officers to cooperate with investigations by the Independent Citizen Police Review Board, authorizing the board to audit the police bureau, and change board member removal procedures. |
A "no" vote opposed amending the city charter to require police officers to cooperate with investigations by the Independent Citizen Police Review Board, authorizing the board to audit the police bureau, and change board member removal procedures. |
A simple majority requirement was required for the approval of the amendment
Measure design
The measure would amend the city's charter to require that all police officers participate in investigations conducted by the Independent Citizen Police Review Board failure to do so could result in termination. The amendment also authorizes the board to conduct performance audits in conjunction with the city controller. The amendment also prohibits the chief of police, the director of safety, and the mayor from imposing disciplinary action before the board reports its findings. Lastly, the amendment adds a new section that specifies that the mayor may remove a member of the board for just cause. However, the city council may override the removal with a two-thirds supermajority vote.[1]
The board was established by a local ballot initiative approved in 1996 with 57% of the vote. The board is an independent agency consisting of seven city residents serving four-year staggered terms appointed by the mayor. Four of the seven are appointed from a nomination list given to the mayor by the city council.[1]
Election results
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Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Independent Citizen Police Review Board Charter Amendment (November 2020) |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
|
|
118,479 | 78.33% | ||
| No | 32,781 | 21.67% | ||
Text of measure
Ballot title
The ballot title for this measure was as follows:
| “ | Shall the Pittsburgh Home Rule Charter, Article Two, Executive, be amended and supplemented by amending and adding new language to Sections 229 and 230 and adding a new Section, 231, expanding the powers of the Independent Citizen Police Review Board to allow the Board to require police officers to participate in investigations, conducting performance audits of the Police Bureau and preventing the removal of Board members except for just cause and with City Council approval? | ” |
Full Text
The full text of this measure is available here.
Support
Supporters
Officials
- Pittsburgh city councilmember Ricky Burgess (D)
- Pittsburgh city councilmember Anthony Coghill (D)
- Pittsburgh city councilmember Deborah Gross (D)
- Pittsburgh city councilmember Theresa Kail-Smith (D)
- Pittsburgh city councilmember Bruce Kraus (D)
- Pittsburgh city councilmember R. Daniel Lavelle (D)
- Pittsburgh city councilmember Corey O'Connor (Democratic)
- Pittsburgh city councilmember Erika Strassburger (D)
- Pittsburgh city councilmember Bobby Wilson (D)
Arguments
Opposition
Ballotpedia did not identify committees, organizations, or individuals opposing the ballot initiative. If you are aware of any opponents or opposing arguments, please send an email with a link to editor@ballotpedia.org.
Background
George Floyd death and protests
On May 25, 2020, Minneapolis police officers arrested George Floyd, a black man, after receiving a call that he had made a purchase with a counterfeit $20 bill.[2] Floyd died after Derek Chauvin, a white officer, arrived at the scene and pressed his knee onto Floyd's neck as Floyd laid face-down on the street in handcuffs.[3] Both the Hennepin County Medical Examiner and an independent autopsy conducted by Floyd's family ruled Floyd's death as a homicide stemming from the incident.[4] The medical examiner's report, prepared by Dr. Michael Baden and Dr. Allecia Wilson, said that it was "not a legal determination of culpability or intent, and should not be used to usurp the judicial process."[4]
Floyd's death was filmed and shared widely, leading to protests and demonstrations over racism, civil rights, and police use of force. The first protests took place in Minneapolis-St. Paul on May 26. A protest in Chicago organized by Chance the Rapper and Rev. Michael Pfleger took place the same day, making it the first major city outside of Minneapolis to host a protest over Floyd's death.[5]
Click here to read more about responses to the killing of and protests about George Floyd.
Related 2020 ballot measures
Ballotpedia identified 18 local police-related or law enforcement measures on the ballot for November 3, 2020, that qualified following the death of George Floyd. The local ballot measures were on the ballot in nine cities and four counties within six states. The local ballot measures concerned police practices, police oversight boards and auditors, police staffing and funding levels, recordings from police body and dashboard cameras, and other policies.
| State | Jurisdiction | Title | Description | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | Los Angeles County | Measure J | Requires that no less than 10% of the county's general fund be appropriated to community programs and alternatives to incarceration |
|
| California | Oakland | Measure S1 | Changes the powers, duties, and staffing of the Oakland Police Commission and creates the Office of Inspector General |
|
| California | San Diego | Measure B | Replaces the Community Review Board on Police Practices with the Commission on Police Practices that would be appointed by the city council to conduct investigations and subpoena witnesses and documents related to deaths resulting from police interactions and complaints made against police officers |
|
| California | San Francisco | Proposition D | Creates the Sheriff's Department Oversight Board and the Sheriff's Department Office of Inspector General |
|
| California | San Francisco | Proposition E | Removes the mandatory police staffing level from the city's charter |
|
| California | San Jose | Measure G | Authorizes the independent police auditor to review reports and records related to officer-involved shootings and uses of force |
|
| California | Sonoma County | Measure P | Makes changes to the powers and duties of the Independent Office of Law Enforcement Review and Outreach (IOLERO) | /
|
| Illinois | DuPage County | Law Enforcement Budget Advisory Referendum | Advises the county to continue to consider law enforcement and public safety as its top budgeting priority |
|
| Illinois | DuPage County | Law Enforcement Injury Risk Training Advisory Referendum | Advises the county to continue to fund and support law enforcement training methods that decrease the risk of injury to officers and suspects |
|
| Ohio | Akron | Release of Recordings from Police Body and Dashboard Cameras after Use of Force Charter Amendment | Requires recordings from police body and dashboard cameras documenting police use of force that results in death or serious injury to be released to the public |
|
| Ohio | Columbus | Issue 2 | Creates the Civilian Police Review Board to investigate alleged police misconduct, subpoena testimony and evidence during the investigations, make recommendations to the Division of Police, and appoint and manage the new position of Inspector General for the Division of Police |
|
| Oregon | Portland | Measure 26-217 | Establishes a new police oversight board in the city's charter |
|
| Pennsylvania | Philadelphia | Question 1 | Adds language to the Philadelphia City Charter calling on the police department to "eliminate the practice of unconstitutional stop and frisk, consistent with judicial precedent" |
|
| Pennsylvania | Philadelphia | Question 3 | Creates a Citizens Police Oversight Commission to replace the Police Advisory Commission |
|
| Pennsylvania | Pittsburgh | Independent Citizen Police Review Board Charter Amendment | Requires police officers to cooperate with investigations conducted by the Independent Citizen Police Review Board |
|
| Texas | Kyle | Proposition F | Amends the city charter to authorize the city council to adopt procedures and a committee to review the police department |
|
| Washington | King County | Charter Amendment 1 | Requires investigations into all police-related deaths and to provide public attorneys to represent the decedent's family in the investigation |
|
| Washington | King County | Charter Amendment 4 | Amends the county charter to authorize the Office of Law Enforcement Oversight (OLEO) to subpoena witnesses, documents, and other evidence in its investigations of law enforcement personnel |
|
| Washington | King County | Charter Amendment 5 | Returns the office of the sheriff from an elected position to an appointed position that is appointed by the county executive and confirmed by the county council |
|
| Washington | King County | Charter Amendment 6 | Gives the county council the authority to specify the duties of the sheriff |
|
Path to the ballot
This measure was put on the ballot through a unanimous vote of the Pittsburgh City Council on July 21, 2020.[1]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Pittsburgh City Council, "Legislative Text," accessed August 10, 2020
- ↑ Washington Post, "The death of George Floyd: What video and other records show about his final minutes," May 30, 2020
- ↑ The New York Times, "8 Minutes and 46 Seconds: How George Floyd Was Killed in Police Custody," May 31, 2020
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 USA Today, "Medical examiner and family-commissioned autopsy agree: George Floyd's death was a homicide," June 1, 2020
- ↑ CNN, "Protests across America after George Floyd's death," accessed June 2, 2020
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