There's the NYPD and then there's the Police Chief in little ol Pittsburgh, PA

[Cha]

Davon Magwood @davonmagwood
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NYPD turn their backs on their mayor, threaten strikes,meanwhile in little ol' Pittsburgh our police chief is like...
9:20 PM - 31 Dec 2014 1,621 Retweets 1,365 favorites

http://theobamadiary.com/2015/01/01/chat-on-63/

Back in September 2014..

Cameron McLay Introduced As Pittsburgh Police Chief

short snip//

"My job will be to close the gap between the police and the community,” McLay said as he met the press."

He listed a number of changes he hopes to implement:
•Restore accountability
•Dispersed leadership
•Community surveys
•Rebuild confidence and pride in bureau

MOre
http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2014/09/12/cameron-mclay-introduced-as-pittsburgh-police-chief/



Oceana~Best wishes from Oceana and moi as we head into 2015!

Happy New Year, DU!!

[Cha]

1. Yay, there's a Rec!

[KMOD]

2. and now there's

two!

[Cha]

3. Mahalo KMOD.. pretty nifty PC in Pittsburgh, eh?

[KMOD]

4. He gets it! So yeah, I'd say he's pretty

awesome!

[Cha]

5. Unreal! Like the opposite of the NYPD!

On so many levels.

[marym625]

82. and now there's 136!

Great post. Hope it goes over the 200 mark

[Cha]

83. Thanks, Mary~ Good News deserves to be Viral. :)

[Cha]

8. P.S. Happy New Year, KMOD!

[KMOD]

9. Happy New Year, Cha!

[ucrdem]

6. Props to Pitt-town

HNY, Cha!

[Cha]

7. Happy New Year, buddy!

And, mahalo for the SOS response!

to you and Chief Cameron McLay!

[freshwest]

10. Looks like Pittsburgh has learned something about how to do it, Cha. Happy New Year.

[Cha]

11. Yes, looks like Pittsburgh lucked out with their New Police Chief, Cameron McLay,

fresh!

Mahalo fresh!

[marble falls]

12. Happy New Year, Cha!

[Cha]

13. Happy New Year to you, marble falls!

[Cha]

14. K for those who can't.

[Cha]

15. Boom, Chief McLay of PPD!

[SunSeeker]

16. I wish every town had a Chief like that. nt

[Cha]

17. Quite right, SunSeeker and may PC Cameron McLay and others like him be a shining example to

those who care about humanity and justice. And, even turn around some of those in the NYPD who are acting out like ignorant prepubescent playground bullies.

Mahalo

[Cha]

18. Props to Pittburgh's new PC, Cameron McLay!

[Cha]

19. Thank you for the Recs, kids.. I'll just kick it for ya!

[yortsed snacilbuper]

20. k&r

I like living in Pittsburgh, Pa.

[Cha]

21. I was just thinking.. it would be nice to hear from any Pittsburgers(?), yorsted! Get an

on the ground report.

[mrmpa]

22. He's got a job ahead of him after what I observed last night.......

Police attitudes need changed here in Pittsburgh. I drive for a ride-sharing company. Last night I took 4 young people, who happened to be African American to a new club, in order to celebrate the incoming new year. Nice kids. That was about 10 pm

At 2:30 I picked them back up at the club. I parked alongside the club (no other cars) & not blocking traffic (as there was no traffic). It took a a minute for them to get in the car, as they had some questions as how to get a ride for their friends, as I could take 2 more they called out to two girls (who declined the ride) One seemed ready to puke, I gave a rider a barf bag and told him to give it to his friend. This took all of no more than 3 minutes from the time I arrived to when we left.

An off duty cop, doing a detail at the club, approached the young man and said "get out of here, now", "get in the car" "get moving". This was done in a really rude manner, and menacing tone. His approaching the young man also seemed menacing. There was no crowd of people, my passengers and about 4 others were in the area. So there was no crowd control to worry about & there was no traffic/safety concerns that needed to be addressed.

Not once did the cop say anything to me (the driver), who happens to be a white female. The young man got in the van and we left. The first thing the young man asked me was "are the cops always like this?" (he and his friends were from out of state). I told him "yep it seems to be the rule these days."

And the irony of a white male cop doing a detail at a club catering to the African American community was not lost on me.

[Cha]

23. Wow.. thanks for your personal experience, mrmpa! I know a lot of cops are like this but it

still blows me away. UnbloodyReal!

So you're in Pittsburgh? You told your experience so well I felt that I was there. smh

[mrmpa]

24. Yep I'm in the 'burgh............

where it's 3:15 am & time for bed. I will keep an eye on what I see out there & try to keep you posted. I usually work from 5 pm to 3 am, 4 days a week.

Go Steelers on Saturday. There will be a lot of out of towners in for the game. Should be a pretty busy week end.

Good night & thank you for the compliment.

[Cha]

25. GO Steelers for you and Pittsburgh, mrmpa~ That's who's the favorite team of my friend's sister

in Hawaii.. for a long time now!

My daughter's alma mater, the Univ of Oregon Ducks won the Rose Bowl so we're all happy!

Mahalo for keeping an eye out.. so many of us are interested in these cops and Chiefs who are doing their best even though it means going against the grain.

You're welcome! P.S. it's only 10:27pm out here on Kaua'i.

[Tommymac]

56. Was it a Pittsburgh Cop or one from one of the outlying boroughs?

There is a huge difference between the City of Pittsburgh Police and the ones from the adjoining townships and boroughs.

The borough PD's are a mixed bag. If it was a City cop, then I think you should report his name and badge # to the new Police Chief - only if we speak out as citizens, along with the good cops breaking the 'Blue Silence', and keep each other's backs protected will real change occur.

Thanks for the story.

[mrmpa]

96. It was a city cop...........

I have been mulling it over about reporting him.........

[Tommymac]

97. At the least forward this thread to him & show him our support as the media is now attacking him

Nice job reporting this btw.

Pittsburgh Police Chief Under Fire For Controversial Photo, Union Says Calls Department Racists

January 2, 2015 6:35 PM
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – Pittsburgh’s Police Chief is under fire for a controversial photo that is making its rounds on Facebook, and some are saying the Chief called his entire department racist. FOP President Howard McQuillan told KDKA’s Marty Griffin: “The chief is calling us racists. He believes the Pittsburgh Police Department is racist. This has angered a lot of officers.”
...
Police Chief Cameron McLay released the following statement about the allegations:
“I was hired to restore the legitimacy of the police department. I did not seek these young activists out. I was stopping for coffee at First Night. Their message is not anti-anybody. It is simply a call for awareness. The photo was a great, spontaneous moment in time. Please join dialogue for community healing.”
...
However Kevin Acklin, the Mayor’s Chief of Staff, tells Ralph Iannotti, the mayor continues to support Chief McLay unequivocally in his efforts to improve dialogue between police and the community at large.

[Cha]

26. KICK for PC McLay in Pittsburgh, PA!

[napkinz]

27. there is HOPE!

little by little, that list is growing ... we're getting there!

thank you so much for sharing!

[Cha]

28. Exactly, napkinz.. our HOPE is building step by step! These cops and Chiefs stand out sooo much

because they are the exception instead of the rule.. and, Thank Goodness for them!

Mahalo napkinz~

[napkinz]

51. I hope we learn about more of them in the coming days and weeks

[Cha]

62. Good point.. we need to know more about them.. not just a graphic with their signs. Thanks, napkinz

[cpamomfromtexas]

29. Good for him! If he adds "corruption" to his sign as well, then I'll really be impressed

[Cha]

30. I'm impressed for what Chief McLay is doing.. I think the "corruption" is understood.. knowing the

Pittsburgh PD's history.

[steve2470]

31. Good man, I wish him much good luck in Pittsburgh!

Happy New Year Cha to you and your family!

[Cha]

32. Really Good Man.. the new PC in Pittsburgh, PA, steve! Thank you!

A Very Happy New Year to your and your Family~

Our Island's electricity was shut down at 12:23am last night for 4 or more hours so we kinda got interrupted in our revelry! 2015!

[silverweb]

33. Wonderful & heartening!

[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]Thanks for posting this, Cha!

[Cha]

34. Thank you for the K&R to get this out there more, silverweb!

[Cha]

35. Kick for our chief in Pittsburgh!

[Cha]

36. ..

[Cha]

37. K then

[JustAnotherGen]

38. What a sweetheart!

Go Pittsburgh!

[Cha]

39. I know, isn't he! GO

Steelers!

Mahalo Gen~Happy New Year!

[Cha]

40. "End White Silence"!

[Cha]

41. ..

[Cha]

42. ..

[Cha]

43. #End White Silence

[Mc Mike]

44. I'm in Pgh., and rec

with one caveat. I know Madison is a progressive town, and know Walker used state police for his anti One Wisconsin moves, but I'd like to see what position Chief McLay has or had on the Labor protests and police actions against them. We're still a strong labor city.

But I'm 100% in favor of community control of police and ending racism at work, especially in our police department, regardless. Excellent contrast to NYPD policy. Rec for that.

[Cha]

45. Yes, that would be interesting to see where Chief McLay was with the Labor Protests in Madison, Wis

I found this but haven't seen anything on his position there..

Ex-Wisconsin police captain Cameron McLay named new Pittsburgh police chief

“Madison is known in policing circles ... for decades as a very capable and forward-thinking department,” he said, noting that the Madison police have their own version of the Pittsburgh Initiative to Reduce Crime, which he says was hampered by a lack of Pittsburgh police cooperation. “They've been very serious about it. ... Madison’s been ahead of the curve for 30 years. ... I think he’s exactly what Pittsburgh needs.”

http://www.post-gazette.com/local/city/2014/09/02/Pittsburgh-to-name-new-police-chief-this-afternoon/stories/201409020123

Hope it works out very well in Pittsburgh, Mc Mike

[Mc Mike]

98. Wife & I donated to One Wis, Labor, and Dem candidates in WI

when the gop started their assault, so we got info electronically about the situation from them, in addition to seeing other coverage on-line about the issue. There is nothing, info wise, that stood out about any of the police commanders who helped crack down on the coalition of Labor, Social Justice, and students who demonstrated vs. Walker and his cronies. I've looked on this site and on-line, but didn't see anything tying Chief McLay into anti protest moves.

When Pope Francis got in, I wondered about his positions during his time in Argentina when Raygun-bush's people were funding death squads. But I've been happy with every policy statement he's come out with, and don't really agree with those who complain about the wrongs he isn't addressing. I think the same thing applies here. Chief McLay did something good, and I give him the benefit of the doubt and back him.

Your post was the first info I saw on his statement. Thanks for posting it.

[MrMickeysMom]

63. I'll second that, Mc Mike...

I'm in an Eastern suburb of Pbg, and understand what it was going to take. Do not forget that you guys have a strong local government leadership (Peduto), and others who are hard working and level headed.

I can see that there will be positive changes ahead with this Chief, which is in contrast to where I am.

[Mc Mike]

100. I backed Bill Peduto, and hope he does well, and good.

I also wish the new Chief the best.

I live ~ a half mile south of the Point. Howdy, neighbor.

[MrMickeysMom]

101. I wish him the best, too.

I met him when I took the newly elected official's course, and I think he's got a good head on his shoulders… nothing like county exec Fitzgerald.

Waving "howdy" back at yah, from Monroeville!

[Mc Mike]

105. I've enjoyed reading a lot of your past posts,

and I'm glad you got elected to office, MMM.

Fitzgerald's pro-fracking moves are the worst things I've seen him do, but I'm not sure what you may have in mind about him.

[MrMickeysMom]

106. Lots in the past

I had only 5 years on municipal council, and much to be gained by that experience. One of the insider things is the rotten relationship to those who control local jobs programs (think Tammany Hall and the shameless Democratic machine of NYC, and you'll get this point) within Allegheny county. Fitzgerald is one of those good ole boys. He really turns my stomach. He is that old "machine" and we need to move beyond this if we are ever to progress. Fracking money found it's way into his pocket, and he's up for re-election, so watch how much the industry supports him. He's also a sexist with a very hot temper. I hope he's defeated after the fracking industry dumps everything they can into him.

[Mc Mike]

107. I read what you wrote, M.

Last edited Fri Jan 23, 2015, 10:17 AM - Edit history (1)

I haven't heard about any named politician angling to challenge him in the primary. I don't have any strong feelings for him, really, but would like to avoid a Roddy repeat in county gov.

Machine politics suck. The Mellons can't beat the Dems in the county, so they co-opt them instead.

[Cha]

46. KICK

[Cha]

47. #End White Silence

[Cha]

48. #End White Silence

[Cha]

49. #End White Silence

[napkinz]

50. kick!

nt

[randys1]

52. Awesome, and he is in great jeopardy now. His life, his job, his family, everything

The only thing he could do worse is to come out in favor of the 2nd amendment, you know the one that limits guns to well regulated militias.

This man deserves TREMENDOUS respect!

[Cha]

64. Mahalo randy... #End White Silence from a Police Chief!

[randys1]

65. Just got my UPS text telling me my

has arrived, now where will I wear it?

Lots of idiot redneck rightwing assholes everywhere

[Cha]

66. Good on you! Be careful though.. as you say.. :(

[Dont call me Shirley]

53. Spread the Cameron McLay around!

[Cha]

67. May he be contagious, DcmS!

[niyad]

54. happy new year, cha, and thanks for the greetings from our beautiful friends there. and thanks for

posting about the chief of police in p-town. I keep thinking he won't be on the job long.

[Cha]

68. Happy New Year, niyad! Chief Cameron McLay is new and they thought long and hard before they

got someone who would be perfect for the job because their previous police chief went down in a blaze of corruption and is in jail!

New Chief Faces Pittsburgh Police Bureau In Crisis

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Cameron McLay will take the reins of a police bureau in crisis, rocked by scandal that sent the last chief to jail, and suffering from strained community relations and a rising homicide rate.

On top of that, the rank and file is dispirited.

MOre..
http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2014/09/10/new-chief-faces-pittsburgh-police-bureau-in-crisis/

Mahalo for noticing our Oceana Friends!

[niyad]

99. thank you for that link. and, will always notice our beautiful friends from the deep!

[Cha]

104. You're Welcome!

[sheshe2]

55. Good on Police Chief Cameron McClay.

Pittsburgh

That's the way to get the ball started!

Thanks Cha~

[Cha]

70. You're Welcome, she.. Chief McLay came into Pittsburgh from Madison, Wisconsin and is taking

over a PD where the last Chief is in jail because of corruption!

Chief Cameron McLay!

[sheshe2]

77. "where the last Chief is in jail because of corruption!"

[Cha]

78. I know.. you can't make this shite up!

[sheshe2]

79. ....

[yardwork]

57. Happy to KnR

[Cha]

72. Hey, yardwork.. Happy New Year and Mahalo!

[yardwork]

102. Back atcha!

[Cha]

103. ..

[WillyT]

58. HUGE K & R !!! - THANK YOU !!!

[napkinz]

59. kick

nt

[Cha]

75. Mahalo napkinz!

[ebbie15644]

60. Good Luck to the New Police Chief! Pittsburg has

had it's own issues with the police, it's been a mixed bag. Hopefully he will set the example to the rest of them.

[Kath1]

61. Awesome!

He deserves a lot of credit for actually "getting it."

[Cha]

76. Aloha, Yes, Chief McLay does!

Happy New Year, Kath!

[Kath1]

90. Indeed!

Unfortunately, this is still a very racist and sexist country. I hope more police will take his approach.

I am very encouraged by all of the high school and college walkouts and demonstrations against racist policing.

Happy New Year, Cha! I think we will see great things in 2015. Peace.

[Cha]

91. Chief McLay is already under fire for it, Kath. as we knew he would be..

Pittsburgh Police Chief Under Fire For Controversial Photo, Union Says Calls Department Racists

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014979291

Peace to you and yours, Kath

[Kath1]

92. Of course.

Pisses me off so much. Disgusting. Racists. We need major change in this country.

Keep up the peaceful protests and civel disobedience until justice is done. Just my thought.

[Cha]

93. I think the doors are open now and we're not going to give up EVER!

[marym625]

69. YAY!!!!!!!!!

Maybe, just maybe, the tide is changing.

Happy New Year, Cha! Great post!

[Cha]

80. Mahalo, Mary.. Happy New Year to you!

Chief Cameron McLay and the Changing Tide!

[marym625]

81. Mahalo, Cha! n/t

[blkmusclmachine]

71. Good cops vs. bad cops.

[mountain grammy]

73. End White Silence! Yes, now there's something we should all be for!

Just might have to get on the twitter for that one.

[Cha]

84. Good idea, mountain grammy!.. Mahalo and Happy New Year!

[1step]

74. K&R to Infinity and Beyond

[Cha]

85. Mahalo 1step!

Chief McLay~

[Cha]

86. Pittsburgh Police Chief Under Fire For Controversial Photo, Union Says Calls Department Racists

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014979291

[Cha]

87. Bravo Chief McLay.. we knew you'd be under fire!

[KMOD]

88. Chief McLay responds to criticism on facebook

“From the desk of Chief McLay:

“I was recently asked: ‘Chief: Why are you talking to and supporting groups complaining about racial injustice?’

“The question is often asked about the appropriate balance between police and community concerns in municipal policing. It is the job of the Chief of Police to reduce crime, fear and disorder for all of the communities served.“It is my job as your Chief, to protect the Bureau from unreasonable political interference. I am committed to that role. It is also my role to ensure we are responsive to community needs. Simply put: I am the Chief of Police for the City of Pittsburgh and all of its citizens.

“The reality of US policing is that our enforcement efforts have a disparate impact on communities of color. This is a statistical fact. You know, as well as I, the social factors driving this reality. The gross disparity in wealth and opportunity is evident in our city. Frustration and disorder are certain to follow. The predominant patterns of our city's increased violence involve black victims as well as actors. If we are to address this violence, we must work together with our communities of color.

“We, the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, need to acknowledge how this reality feels to those impacted communities. Crime and disorder take us to the disadvantaged communities, which are predominantly those of color. The disparities in police arrest and incarceration rates that follow are not by design, but they can feel that way to some people in those communities.

“I know, because I have been there too. My own street drug enforcement efforts were well intended but had an impact I would not have consciously chosen. In retrospect, we should have been far more engaged with those in the communities where we were doing our high-impact, zero tolerance type policing; to obtain the consent of those we were policing.

“We will be engaging in training to refine our policing efforts in the near future. In the meantime, we will simply approach our job mindfully, with a continued motivation to protect and serve.

“Please be aware also, race impacts how we view one another, and unconscious bias applies to how we deal with the public. It can also impact how we judge one another; I intend we will confront both through training.

“I support efforts to keep our communities safe, and will back the best efforts to do so. I trust and have faith in you. I also support efforts to improve and restore the communities' perceptions of justice. The next time you see me engaging in discussions supporting social justice, please remember, we are all guardians of the constitution. This is the mission we all took an oath to uphold.

“Thank you for joining me in restoring the legitimacy of the policing profession.”

View McLay’s original post on Facebook HERE.

http://www.wpxi.com/news/news/local/pittsburgh-police-chief-responds-criticism-about-p/njfb8/

[Cha]

89. Brave soul!

[Major Hogwash]

94. Wow, that's some heavy shit, man!

In Pittsburgh, no less.
Good for him, I hope he succeeds.

[Cha]

95. Me too, Major! Chief McLay has only been sworn in as Chief for a few months having come to them

from Madison, Wisconsin. The former PC in Pittsburgh is in jail due to corruption charges.. so he has a lot to clean up from the inside out.

And, of course he's already under fire from ..

Pittsburgh Police Chief Under Fire For Controversial Photo, Union Says Calls Department Racists

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014979291

Mahalo