Pittsburgh police chief apologizes to officers in letter

PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Police Chief Cameron McLay apologized in a letter to all of his officers for the manner in which he required them to work during the Pittsburgh Marathon.

In the letter, the chief said it was poor planning on his part, and that changes are coming.

McLay apologized for not getting the word out early that he needed officers during the Pittsburgh Marathon, and then required them to work.

“The reality is ultimately if the promoted leadership within my organization fails, I'm responsible. So I'm going to take responsibility,” McLay told Channel 11 News Wednesday. “Officers didn't get the kind of timely notice they deserved, and at the end of the day, I'm responsible for making sure that we do a good job planning of special events.”

After complaints from officers, the police union called the decision a violation of contract and threatened to file an unfair labor practice.

“My confidence isn’t wavering with the chief,” Mayor Bill Peduto said. “In fact, I have more confidence because he’s willing to admit when a problem exists.”

In the letter, the chief also outlined changes to eliminate future problems. Among them, the special deployment division will oversee all event planning for events like the marathon.

“I'll have a commander responsible for the planning process, and on game day, that will be the same person who's responsible for running the show,” McLay told Channel 11 News.

Cox Media Group