Body Cams, Tiny Homes & City Programs Come and Go

It’s the Friday news roundup! Attorneys released police body camera and cell phone footage from the night Pittsburgh police officers repeatedly tased Jim Rogers in 2021. The 54 year old died shortly after. City Council is proposing a tiny home village as one possible solution to houselessness, and the city’s free spay and neuter program is being paused because of suburbanites. Plus, there’s a new full-time emergency medical training program for city residents that pays homage to the city’s past.

We always cite our sources:

• Jim Rogers was 54 in October 2021 when he died shortly after an interaction with police, which led to several officers receiving disciplinary action, and a few firings, though a few have since returned to work. The city settled a lawsuit with the family for $8 million.
• A law firm representing the Rogers’ family released body camera and cell phone footage this week. WESA’s Kiley Koscinski explains why that’s so unusual, and why it may not happen again. 
• Also in 2021, WHYY reported that “While Pennsylvania’s restrictions on police footage aren’t necessarily worse than other states, advocates say access could and should be improved.”
• All states have right-to-know laws, but here in PA, there’s a carve out for law enforcement footage under Act 22. 
• There’s a proposal for tiny homes as a solution for homelessness in the works, and Pittsburgh City Council members showed off a prototype of what a home could look like.
• Wondering what tiny homes look like in other cities? Here’s how a large community has impacted homelessness in Austin.
• In November, a bill was introduced in Council that would create a zoning use called a “Temporary Managed Community” to allow for proposals like this, under certain conditions.
• Mayor Gainey announced a new EMT training program earlier this month. Freedom House EMT Training is named in honor of Freedom House Ambulance Service, which was primarily staffed by Black paramedics and set the standards for EMT care we now.
• Interested in becoming an EMT? Apply to the EMT training program on the City of Pittsburgh’s career website; the deadline is February 22. 
• Listen to our past pod about how Black Pittsburgh revolutionized emergency healthcare services.
• Pittsburgh is pausing the free spay and neuter program after learning that pet owners from the suburbs have been accessing services meant for city residents.

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