Our History
THE PITTSBURGH CHAPTER OF NOBLE
The National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE) was founded in September 1976, during a three-day symposium to address crime in urban low-income areas. Sixty (60) top-ranking black law enforcement executives representing twenty-four (24) states and fifty-five (55) major cities gathered in Washington, D.C. area to participate. They exchanged views about the critically high rate of crime in black urban communities and the socio-economic conditions that lead to crime and violence. They raised questions about relevant issues such as fairness in the administration of justice, police community relations, the hiring and promotion of black police officers, and the unique problems of the black police executive. Recognizing that black law enforcement executives could have a significantly more effective impact upon the criminal justice system through a unified voice, the symposium participants departed from the planned agenda to create NOBLE. Pittsburgh’s first black Police Chief, William Moore, was among the sixty founding members who attended the symposium in Washington, D.C.
Our local Chapter was formed August 30, 1999, although, we are fairly new to the NOBLE family, we are quickly becoming one of the most active and enterprising chapters in our region. The Pittsburgh Chapter membership is representative of the following Departments and Agencies:
Chatham University Police Department
African American Chamber of Commerce
Allegheny County Police Department
California University of PA
Chatham University Police Department
City of Pittsburgh Department of Human Resources and Civil Service
City of Pittsburgh Department of Public Safety
Foundation of Hope
Greater Pittsburgh Business and Professional Women
MAD Dads
My Brother's Keeper
NAACP
Non-Law Enforcement Supporting Members
Pennsylvania Department of Corrections
Pennsylvania Federal Probation and Parole
Pennsylvania State Police
Pittsburgh Housing Authority Police Department
Pittsburgh Bureau of Police
The U.S. Courthouse
United States Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration
University of Pittsburgh Police Department