City puts up fence around 'the wall' on Fort Duquesne Boulevard to clean up parklet
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — The city of Pittsburgh put a fence around a section of Allegheny Riverfront Park on Fort Duquesne Boulevard that's been called an "open-air drug market."
City officials said the Department of Public Works is cleaning up the parklet, as some sections were in disrepair. At the same time, the city is working to help people who live in tents below the promenade along the Allegheny River.
"I'm very upset about this, because where are they now?" said Sterling Shaw.
Dozens of people usually gather on the promenade on Fort Duquesne Boulevard every day. But now, what's called "the wall" has fencing around it.
"This is where they hang out at. Look at the place, it's empty. They sleep in doorways, they have nowhere to go, they need a second chance," Shaw said.
For the past year, Pittsburgh police responded to complaints of fights, gunfire, litter and noise. It's been said that the area is used as a place to sell, buy or use drugs.
Pittsburgh police detectives conducted investigations in the section blocked off and have made several drug arrests.
"Prior to the fencing going up yesterday, we did do five arrests in that area for drug-related charges, dealings, etc. And we also made sure there were services provided to the folks who were hanging out there," said Lee Schmidt, Pittsburgh Public Safety director.
The city put up the fences so the Department of Public Works can clean and make repairs.
"There's a lot of people who have mental health problems and come here to release their stress. The drugs may be down here, but there are people who are homeless in this city, and I know the city is doing the best that they can to help these folks. But at the end of the day, still have nowhere to go," one man said who was walking Downtown.
Just below "the wall" along the Allegheny River, there is still a tent encampment with people experiencing homelessness, but city officials have said they're not the ones who gather at the wall.
"We are all for our city being a safer place and anytime someone is conducting themselves in an unsafe manner it needs to be dealt with. My concern is when we have some solutions like this, is that we look for a complete solution," said Jerrel Gilliam, executive director of Light of Life Rescue Mission.
Gilliam said its new location on the North Side accommodates 50 people. But since February it has been experiencing an overflow and had to set up 25 extra cots.
He believes mental health, drug issues and illegal activity need to be addressed together as a community.
"Where are the people today? If we're not getting to the underlining issues to what led them to that place, then they are just going to move to another place. Often times there is trauma they are dealing with, so we want to deal with the illegal activity for sure, but we want to make sure that there is an alternative for them, and often times that's where it becomes more complicated because we have to understand their story," Gilliam said.
Gilliam thinks the county, city, service providers and those who are experiencing homelessness should come together to brainstorm and figure out how to bring their resources together. He said it starts with having conversations with people experiencing homelessness about what their needs are and understanding the problem.
The city's R.O.O.T.S. team through Allegheny Health Network has been engaging with people living in tents to help them get into more substantial and permanent housing and in anticipation of a new shelter opening Downtown.