Police issue citations on South Side this weekend after business owners call for change
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Police issued dozens of citations this weekend on the South Side amid a crackdown that business owners say they want to see more of.
"It's fantastic. Typically, on a given weekend, we can have two or four citations," said John DeMauro, the owner of The Urban Tap.
That is not cutting it, he says. This weekend, police arrested two people and issued 21 traffic tickets and 36 citations for drunkenness, open containers, and public urination.
"It's refreshing, and it's what needed to happen," DeMauro said.
He is part of the South Side Hospitality Partnership, a group of business owners, restaurants and bars looking to keep the South Side safe and vibrant.
"We're seeing a lot of drunken, disruptive individuals on the street, we're seeing a lot of open containers, we're seeing a lot of individuals that are actually coming down to the South Side just to partake in being on East Carson Street," DeMauro said.
Dominic Rometo sees it all the time.
"Everyone lets out at like 2 a.m., it's just crowds of people," he said. "Everyone's drunk, and then there's problems."
"Usually, the altercations happen on the main streets when people are walking past, and they run into somebody, and they're intoxicated or they're trying to impress the girls or something," South Side resident Trivan Griffey said.
DeMauro said it is only sustainable if officials keep the pace up.
"People have to have the correct expectation when they're coming down to an entertainment district of what is and what isn't acceptable, and the venue for an entertainment district should never be the street in and of itself," he said.
Pittsburgh police said the enforcement will continue every weekend going forward through the busy days of summer.