Details of Dormont 'Potential Child Luring' Case

A Dormont police officer waited more than two hours—even going to lunch—before putting out an alert to area police about what the acting chief called a potential child luring case.

But Mayor Tom Lloyd said the incident was being blown out of proportion and is an example of the borough manager and the acting chief going after an officer they don’t like.

“Why they’re after (Jim) Burke, I don’t know,” Lloyd said Thursday. “He does a good job.”

Acting chief Richard Dwyer and Manager Gino Rizza denied they are “after” Burke.

The incident happened about 11 a.m. last Friday. About 11:30 p.m., the 12-year-old boy’s mother went to the station to report that a man in white van had offered her son ride home, according to the police report.

The woman told Burke that she didn’t want anything done because it could have been someone who knows the family, but Dwyer said that was beside the point.

Dwyer said he talked to the woman and her concern was that she did not want the media showing up at her door with cameras, which he said was also beside the point.

“Our priority has to be the safety of the other children of Dormont,” he said.

Burke should have put out an alert about it when he learned of it on his own, Dwyer said.

Instead, Burke called Dwyer to see what should be done. They spoke about 12:25 p.m.

Dwyer told him to put out a “BOLO”—be on the lookout—on the county’s dispatch system and canvass the neighborhood.
But Burke first went to lunch for half an hour, then about 1:20 p.m., he and another officer knocked on doors in the area to see if anyone saw anything.

About 2 p.m., Burke typed up an alert and faxed it to the Allegheny County dispatch center, and the alert was broadcast at 2:08 p.m.

Burke did not respond to an email seeking comment.

Dwyer first mentioned the incident Tuesday, after Lloyd had , claiming Dwyer left the borough without police protection.

Dwyer said the borough wasn't without police protection. He was also reinstated by council.

Dwyer said Tuesday that Lloyd hadn't seemed concerned about how Friday's incident was handled.

Patch looked into it after people asked for more details.