DNC

DNC: Pittsburgh police chief among primetime speakers on Day 2

Pittsburgh Police Chief Cameron McLay was one of the primetime speakers at Tuesday's Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.

He spoke during the 8 p.m. hour after former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder. McLay was followed by actor Tony Goldwyn, who plays the president on the TV show "Scandal."

McLay focused his speech on Pittsburgh's efforts to adopt the best practices on community policing.

“In Pittsburgh, we're doing this important work,” McLay said. “We're working closely together to reduce the violence and make our residents feel both safe and respected."

Pittsburgh is one of six cities nationwide participating in the U.S. Department of Justice's National Initiative for Building Community Trust and Justice.

Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto is attending the DNC as an elected delegate for the 14th Congressional District.

The Fraternal Order of Police pointed out that it’s against city code for an officer to campaign for a candidate. However, a spokesperson for Peduto’s office said McLay didn’t violate any city codes, issuing the following statement:

"There is no violation of city code. We are aware of the restrictions under city code, and we explicitly required that his remarks were not political as a condition of his appearance. Chief McLay was invited by the convention to tell the nation about the efforts of the Pittsburgh Police force toward building stronger community relations, and he did not campaign for any candidate. There was no mention of any candidate in his remarks, he did not express support for any candidate, and we are proud that he celebrated the efforts of our police officers on a national stage."

McLay also defended his decision to speak at the convention.

"If you look at what I said, those are my words. There was no endorsing of any candidate. There was no endorsing of any particular objective. I'm simply getting the truth that needs to be said about what meaningful police reform needs to look like in this country," he said.

Cox Media Group

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