Yesterday the Mayor promoted Michael Huss, from fulltime Fire Chief & part time Public Safety Director, to fulltime Public Safety Director. (See below for excerpts & links).
The Public Safety Director’s position is readily acknowledged to have been, at best, ceremonial. According to the articles Huss intends to take it off of the sidelines and into policy making for all of the city’s safety departments.
This is a task that cannot and should not be left just for the PD and/or other city government entities to handle internally. Successful outcomes will depend on the public’s, (our), attention & input. Neither the Public Hearing nor the Post Agenda would’ve happened without our strong voices calling for them.
I believe necessary reforms, likewise, will not happen without out our vigilance and voices.
Thank you all for keeping up the pressure, please, keep your eyes & ears open. We're not done yet. GloriaFrom today’s P-G, (http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07257/817439-53.stm):
“Chief Huss…now envisions changing its role from one of oversight to one of making policy for the police, fire, emergency medical services and building inspection bureaus. The safety director post had been an add-on duty, rather than a stand-alone post, since 1993.
He confirmed that he'll be involved in reworking police deployments, writing new rules regarding domestic violence by employees, and determining whether the paramedics and firefighters should be merged if a pending report recommends that.
"I'm going to rely on the [police and paramedic] command staff, but I'm going to look" at bureau policies, he said.”
From today’s Trib, (http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_527398.html):
“The mayor plans to beef up the post of public safety director, which historically has been a part-time ceremonial post…
Huss said he won't micromanage, but intends to oversee major changes such as police Chief Nate Harper's plans to tighten domestic violence rules within the bureau.”
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