Pittsburgh mayor makes controversial police promotion

PITTSBURGH — 11 Investigates broke the story earlier this month that the city of Pittsburgh planned to promote a commander who lives outside the city limits to assistant chief.

At a ceremony at City Hall on Monday, Mayor Corey O’Connor promoted Commander Lori McCartney to assistant police chief, even though she doesn’t live in the city of Pittsburgh.

McCartney, who’s been with the Police Bureau for 33 years, lives in South Fayette.

The promotion drew the ire of the Police Officers’ union that fought for years to successfully lift the residency requirement for union members.

McCartney is not in the union and the union claims the city’s Home Rule Charter is clear and employees must live in the city, unless they are members of a union that worked out a separate agreement.

But Mayor O’Connor has defended the promotion, arguing that Commanders and even an Acting Police Chief were given permission to live outside the city before he took office.

Earle recently questioned the Mayor about the promotion.

Earle: Is it a violation of the home rule charter?

Mayor: I mean it’s been something that’s gone on for years now within the city.

Earle: With the Commanders?

Mayor: With the Commanders.

Earle: But some police officers have been fired over this.

Mayor: And it’s been something that we looked into. I mean you had an Acting Chief of the entire Bureau that wasn’t living in the city for the last few years.

After lobbying the legislature and fighting in the courts, the Police Union won the right to allow officers to live outside the city limits, but within 25 air miles of the City-County building.

Over the years, several police officers have been fired after investigations determined that they lived outside the city limits.

Some even had apartments in the city, but that didn’t satisfy Section 711 of the Home Rule Charter that “all city employees and officials, including police and fire bureau personnel, shall be domiciled in the city at the time.”

Bob Swartzwelder, the President of the Police Union, sent a strongly-worded letter to the Mayor that it’s a clear violation of the Home Rule Charter.

Swartzwelder believes this controversial promotion sets a precedent, and will likely open the door for more city employees to argue that they too should be allowed to live outside the city limits.

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