No-knock warrants, jail confinement on ballot in Pittsburgh, Allegheny Co.

Tom Davidson, The Tribune-Review, Greensburg
·2 min read

May 12—Allegheny County and Pittsburgh voters will be asked to decide separate criminal justice issues on ballot questions in the May 18 primary.

If approved, the ballot questions would ban Pittsburgh police from serving warrants without announcing themselves and the use of solitary confinement would be restricted at Allegheny County Jail.

The measures had broad support from city and county residents, Brandi Fisher, who leads the Pittsburgh-based Alliance for Police Accountability, said.

"There was an overwhelming response from people who wanted these to be passed," Fisher said.

More than 12,000 people signed the petition for the warrant ballot question and more than 27,000 supported the issue about confinement at the jail, she said.

"Combined we were able to get over 66,000 signatures," Fisher said.

The warrant ballot question is limited to voters in Pittsburgh. If passed it would amend the city's charter to ban city police from serving a warrant without announcing themselves.

It is similar to other laws passed across the country inspired by Breonna Taylor's 2020 shooting by police in Louisville, Ky., during a botched raid on her apartment.

Taylor was shot by plainclothes officers who entered her boyfriend's apartment to serve a warrant that was part of a drug investigation.

Taylor's boyfriend fired what he called a warning shot after police entered, police returned fire and Taylor was killed.

None of the officers were charged with a crime specifically tied to Taylor's death. Prosecutors said the officers were "justified in their use of force" because Taylor's boyfriend fired at officers first. One officer was charged with wanton endangerment because he fired blindly through a door and window.

Pittsburgh police do not use "no-knock warrants," officials have said, and Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr's spokesman Mike Manko said there isn't a way for law enforcement to request such warrants in Pennsylvania.

"Our perspective is if it's something you don't do already, it shouldn't be a problem at all," to support, Fisher said.

If it passes, the amendment would be stronger than a similar ordinance council has been considering for adoption because council could always amend an ordinance, but changing the charter again would require another referendum, Fisher said.

The other ballot questions would ban solitary confinement for Allegheny County Jail inmates except in cases of lockdowns, medical or safety emergencies, and protective separation requests.

Many people in the jail are there because of probation violations or as they await court cases, but if they violate rules of the jail, solitary confinement is used as a punishment, Fisher said.

"It's inhumane," she said.

Both ballot questions are intended to address public safety issues that can prevent problems before they happen, Fisher said.

Tom Davidson is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Tom at 724-226-4715, tdavidson@triblive.com or via Twitter .

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