Allegheny County Police have charged a former Pittsburgh Police Commander with felony offenses for secretly recording conversations of fellow officers.
The investigation began on October 11, 2023, when a hidden body camera was found in an unmarked vehicle of the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police. Further investigation revealed 14 separate recordings from body-worn cameras, capturing multiple officers from the department’s Zone 2 without their consent.
Matthew Lackner, the 50-year-old former Zone 2 Commander, was identified as responsible for placing the cameras in the vehicles and concealing his department-issued body camera to record interactions illegally.
Following consultations with the district attorney’s office, Lackner was charged with four felony counts of illegal interception, disclosure, or use of wire, electronic, or oral communications. Lackner has retired from the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police since the investigation.
