Pittsburgh police have been placed under intense scrutiny in recent years, leaving residents divided in their assessment of the methods police use when making arrests.

Undercover police are nothing new, but their tactics were called into question in August 2020 when Matthew Cartier was arrested for intentionally blocking traffic during a BLM protest. Then-mayor Bill Peduto disagreed with the arrest, but not for the reason many would suspect. He did not debate the legality of Cartier's arrest, but he criticized the tactics plainclothes officers used to arrest him.

Video of Cartier's arrest shows plainclothes officers jumping from an unmarked white van and forcing him inside before driving away. Peduto later said that these actions were contrary to Pittsburgh's policies, though Commander Ed Trapp of the Pittsburgh Police Department said they used this unconventional approach to avoid making a big scene. They explained it by saying, "when high-visibility stuff takes place with these marches, it tends to attract a crowd and incite things further."  

The "pop-out tactic" used by police had the opposite effect, stirring up controversy. Peduto responded by placing limits on police response to protests. Mayor Ed Gainey, Peduto's successor, continues to support his assessment: "we had this conversation before on the 'jump out' squad and I'm not for that. I'm for communities working together." In other words, undercover police will continue to operate in Pittsburgh, but they are not permitted to use ambush-style tactics. 

Some believe that Peduto was justified in placing limits upon the actions of the police. They say that if police departments are allowed to operate without oversight, it creates an atmosphere of distrust between officers and civilians. They believe that the best way to encourage accountability from police is to make them answerable to the public for their actions. 

Others believe that police departments must be allowed to make their own determinations regarding the tactics they should use. This group maintains that police are already subject to sufficient oversight that prevents them from acting in a renegade manner. They state that allowing civilians to make rules about which methods of arrest are acceptable would make it impossible for police to maintain safety for all citizens.

The question up for debate: Should city mayors be given the authority to instruct #police on how to handle #protests?