Pittsburgh police probe officer's social media posting

The Pittsburgh police command staff is investigating an officer's Facebook posting, saying it would not tolerate comments disparaging victims, the department said Friday.

The police department did not describe the nature of the post or who is the target of the investigation by the Office of Municipal Investigations.

“We will hold this officer accountable for his actions. Comments that disparage victims and endanger the community and fellow officers will not be tolerated by the City of Pittsburgh. Such behavior is a poor reflection on the bureau and will not be tolerated,” the department said in a statement.

The Office of Municipal Investigations is responsible for coordinating the investigation of citizen complaints of alleged misconduct by city employees, including uniformed employees such as the police, fire and emergency medical services.

The department would not comment beyond the statement it released, police spokesman Chris Togneri said.

But Robert Swartzwelder, president of the Pittsburgh Fraternal Order of Police, criticized the department for issuing a statement. “Any public discussion of an internal investigation is a complete violation of departmental regulations.”

Not only is it a violation of departmental regulations, Swartzwelder said Saturday, it is a violation of the FOP's contract with the city.

The Office of Municipal Investigations is run by civilians, Swartzwelder said.

Swartzwelder said he was not aware of the content of the Facebook posting from the unnamed officer.

Joe Napsha is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 724-836-5252 or jnapsha@tribweb.com.