The Public Safety Services Committee of Pittsburgh City Council held a meeting on Wednesday to discuss and vote on an ordinance that would authorize Mayor Bill Peduto to send Pittsburgh City Police officers to Cleveland, Ohio for the Republican National Convention later this month.
Police Chief Cameron McLay said 20-25 officers and personnel would voluntarily be sent to Cleveland to assist with traffic duties, SWAT units, and crowd control needs.
“Conceptually we recognize as a major city that we have a responsibility to be partners with our sister cities,” Chief McLay stated before the committee. “We felt very strongly on the need to examine our abilities to support [Cleveland] in any way that we could with available resources that we have.”