PUBLIC SAFETY
Pittsburgh reveals gun control bills promised after Tree of Life shooting
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Pittsburgh city officials on Friday announced a trio of gun control bills in response to the Oct. 27 shooting deaths of 11 people at Tree of Life synagogue.
Transparency
Seeking information from Pittsburgh or Allegheny County? About half of formal requests are deemed ‘public records’
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In the past four years, residents and journalists have filed at least 4,540 requests for public records with the City of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County. About half the time, the city or county agreed to release all or some of the records.
While the city granted more records than the county, city records came at a higher price. The city charged requesters a total of $13,000 in copying and other costs, showing its reliance on paper records. In all but six cases, the county released records at no cost and in digital format whenever requested.
PUBLIC SAFETY
Pittsburgh officials pursue a new strategy to push for aggressive gun control measures
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Pittsburgh officials are urging local governments across the country to join them on instituting new gun control laws after the October mass shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue.
PUBLIC SAFETY
In disciplining cops, Pennsylvania’s standards trail other states
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Because lawmakers gave limited authority to the agency responsible for police certification, Pennsylvania has no oversight over noncriminal findings of misconduct, aside from dishonesty during the certification process.
PublicSource Investigation
Woman accused Pittsburgh council hopeful Quincy Kofi Swatson of non-consensual sex and assault
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Pittsburgh City Council hopeful Quincy Kofi Swatson has been accused of assaulting a woman and engaging in non-consensual sex, according to a September court document.
Aftermath: Synagogue attack
In the wake of the shooting at Tree of Life, Pittsburgh City Council promises action on gun control. What is even feasible in Pennsylvania?
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City Councilman Corey O’Connor said now is the time for Pittsburgh to take bold action on gun control, even if it means confronting lawsuits and the ire of a Republican-controlled state Legislature and powerful gun rights groups like the National Rifle Association. “We will fight this. Pittsburgh will take a stand,” O'Connor said, holding back tears at a council meeting three days after a heavily armed man killed 11 people at the Tree of Life synagogue. “And we will get sued... You want to fight?
EDUCATION
Children’s Fund campaign got more than $1M. Here’s what the final campaign finance report before Election Day shows.
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The campaign to create the Allegheny County Children's Fund has received more than $1 million in donations from 10 local organizations. Campaign organizers have spent most of it, primarily on advertising, consulting and voter outreach, according to a campaign finance report filed Friday afternoon.
PUBLIC SAFETY
Low funding, strained patrols and officer turnover common among some Mon Valley police departments. Will East Pittsburgh’s crisis spur change elsewhere?
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East Pittsburgh is grappling with the fate of its police force, leaning on solutions like consolidation that have long-been discussed in the fragmented region, largely without success.
Will crisis force change? In East Pittsburgh, officials hope so. But interviews with numerous chiefs and leaders in the region reveal a persistent status quo, where funding drastically differs across a patchwork of boroughs and some communities struggle to recruit officers to work breakneck hours for dismal pay.
PUBLIC SAFETY
In the Mon Valley, police fragmentation means big differences in pay, policies and public information
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PublicSource made independent requests for policies held by 15 Mon Valley police departments.
PublicSource Investigation
Is Pittsburgh prepared for a cyberattack? The city stays mum on report that found numerous flaws.
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The City of Pittsburgh doesn't want to talk about its cybersecurity. Its top tech official is staying tight-lipped, saying the stakes are too high to say much publicly.
