PITTSBURGH — A bill to create a civilian police review board that could investigate allegations of misconduct was defeated by a 9-6 vote Tuesday night in Allegheny County Council.
The only department that would have automatically been subject to the oversight is Allegheny County Police. Each individual municipality would have been able to opt in.
Councilman DeWitt Walton, one of the main proponents of the bill, said that it will be reintroduced in January.
In the days leading up to the vote, County Executive Rich Fitzgerald said he would sign the legislation if it passed.
"We appreciate the work that council has done on this issue, which mirrors the efforts being discussed at the state," Fitzgerald said in a written statement Tuesday night. "This is an important conversation, and council members Walton and (Paul) Klein should be commended for keeping the focus on how we address policing and citizen complaints in our communities."
Walton said the issue is largely about standardizing the way police departments are reviewed in Allegheny County.
"Ninety-five percent of police officers do a great job every day," said Walton, a Hill District Democrat. "It's just those 5% that slip through that need to be held accountable."
The president of the Allegheny County Police Association said the group was against the idea.
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