Police memorial flag causes a flap in Aspinwall

A flag honoring fallen police officers is causing a flap in Aspinwall.

Council members fielded comments during last week’s meeting from about 15 residents either supporting or opposing the flag that has flown outside the borough building for 12 years.

Aspinwall resident Karen Hart took to social media to express her opposition to the flag in a post on the private Facebook group Aspinwall Community Page.

Hart would like to see the flag removed.

“We all support our police force, whose motto is to serve and protect. This flag is an symbol of domination and division. It doesn’t represent our community, and I’d bet it doesn’t reflect the attitude of our police officers,” Hart wrote.

In her post to the Facebook private page Fox Chapel Community Lounge, Hart described the flag as a “racist beacon.”

The flag, described by borough officials as a police memorial flag, hangs below an American flag on a pole outside the entrance to the borough building.

The flag in Aspinwall features a wide, blue horizontal bar on a solid black background. It differs from the so-called “Thin Blue Line” or “Blue Lives Matter” flags that feature a monochrome American flag with one of the usually white stripes colored blue.

Hart wrote she’d like to see the flag removed and replaced with the Pennsylvania state flag.

Council President Tim McLaughlin described the 40-minute discussion last week as “healthy.” He said some residents called for the flag to be taken down and questioned the legality of the flag.

“We had our solicitor check the borough and state codes, and he said it is legal,” McLaughlin said.

Aspinwall Solicitor Steve Korbel referenced a specific section of the state borough code.

“I advised council that the borough code may list certain flags that can be flown at the borough building, but it does not specifically prohibit the borough from flying the police memorial flag,” Korbel said.

At Wednesday night’s council meeting, one resident of the two dozen who attended asked about the flags, wondering whether council had a deadline as to when it might make a decision.

McLaughlin said it won’t be on council agenda in December, as officials will be working on next year’s budget.

“My hope is to continue doing more research, and I will keep it under my purview to gather more information and get feedback,” McLaughlin said. “We are gathering information before having further discussion.”

He said he expects the matter will be discussed in January and at council’s February meeting.

Mayor explains its original intent

In an earlier written statement, McLaughlin said the flag originally was hung to honor the Pittsburgh police officers killed in the line of duty in Stanton Heights in 2009. “Some residents questioned the timing and intent of when it was originally flown. Regardless of its original intent or purpose, it is clear to me that not everyone is aware of why that flag flies. Many have confused it with the other flags that don’t honor fallen officers,” McLaughlin wrote.

McLaughlin said council purposefully has kept the Aspinwall Police Department out of the flag controversy.

“We are not putting the officers in that position,” McLaughlin wrote. “It’s a borough building, and council makes any decision regarding the flag.”

Borough police and fire departments and council offices are housed in the same building.

Borough officials said they’ve received emails from residents offering suggestions for other ways to honor the police officers.

“We heard from residents in favor of it coming down, as well as ones asking for it to remain,” McLaughlin wrote. “We will continue to have a discussion and we will gather more input from residents, the Aspinwall Police, our mayor and borough council.”