The City of Pittsburgh has decided to move forward with plans for a public safety facility that could cost roughly $86 million. While some may see it as just another training facility or community growth, it brings about various concerns that need to be unpacked. I will approach this in two parts. The first one will focus on the effects it will have on the Black community and lack of community engagement. The second part will address the role of “progressive politics” and neocolonialism.
While this is being marketed as a public safety center for Police, Fire and EMS, it mirrors a “Cop City.” Cop cities have been popping up throughout the U.S. There are 69-plus being built or in development. They are police training facilities that have burn buildings, firing ranges, mock cities, and K-9 training, etc. Basically, further militarizing the police. The one here in Pittsburgh would have similar features like K-9 training and a firing range. I do recognize that there were amendments made that are supposed to ensure it will not be used to train officers for urban warfare, etc.
However, just because an amendment is added doesn’t guarantee that police won’t find a way to justify their training “needs.” Also, 47 and the current administration have made it clear that their plan is to use Black communities as training for police. For instance, just recently, 47 revealed that he had told the defense secretary “to use inner cities as training grounds for war.” So, I highly doubt that they will even accept these amendments. Moreover, the facility will be built in the Lincoln-Lemington area, a predominately Black community. This is dangerous and further exposes our people to more state violence in their own backyards, something that continues to be a reality for Black people.
Additionally, there has been resistance to “cop cities” around the world, with police often responding with violence. During the Stop Cop City Atlanta protest, police killed a Venezuelan environmental activist named Tortuguita Manuel Esteban Paez Terán. Locally, people are already organizing, and 20-plus people have spoken out against this at the last five Council standing committee meetings.
As someone who has lost relatives to community violence, I do get that some will highlight the dangers within our communities as reasons why they support this. However, I would challenge that and point out the need to unlearn how we have internalized White supremacy, in respect to being single-issue focused and respectability politics. This shows up with being comfortable not holding those you have political relationships with accountable for police violence, but collaborating with them on other issues such as housing, etc. Also, with the belief that police reform, training, and doing donuts with cops will stop police from hurting Black communities. There are also issues with the lack of community engagement.
This has been before the Pittsburgh City Council since 2018. Why wasn’t the public notified earlier, and why were meetings not held? Council has stated that meetings would occur after the master plan is complete. How can you engage the community after decisions have already been made? In addition, the last voting meeting was changed with little notice, only giving a two-hour notice to those who signed up to speak. This raises concerns about political maneuvering that could affect community voices and possibly violate the PA Sunshine Law.
Pittsburgh does not need a militarized million-dollar police training facility. Instead, funds could be redirected to affordable housing and environmental justice. We must do the internal work to unlearn our complacency in upholding White supremacy and actively advocate against this!