Allegheny County police finish patrols in Downtown Pittsburgh
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Allegheny County police will no longer be patrolling Downtown Pittsburgh as the city moves forward with a plan to increase its police presence.
County Executive Rich Fitzgerald said on Tuesday that officers are no longer regularly scheduled for rounds but can help again if needed.
Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey has promised to double the number of police officers Downtown and create a police precinct with a dedicated lieutenant and two sergeants, as well as hand-picked officers. It came after a 23-year-old man was shot and killed near the Wood Street T Station.
County officers were assigned to patrols to provide a stepped-up presence Downtown while the city recruited and assigned additional officers.
Mayor Ed Gainey's administration says their plan for increased patrols with Pittsburgh police means they no longer need county police.
"We think there will be a noticeable effect Downtown. We think that this is something we've got the right plan for, the right personnel to achieve," Deputy Mayor Jake Pawlak said.
According to crime data from the city, there was a slight increase in crimes reported in the Golden Triangle from 1,324 in 2021 to 1,583 in 2022. That's down from a decade high in 2019 of 2,046, and even down from 1,644 crimes reported in 2011. Deputy Mayor Pawlak said their plan to ensure safety will be to have 18 officers patrolling downtown.
"That's the right target to meet the calls of service and other things we are seeing Downtown," Pawlak said outside the City-County Building.
Their plan is to have current officers bid for this detail. They will then move to cover Downtown.
"They would switch to this Downtown detail, and other officers would take their existing beats. It's a reallocation of those resources," Pawlak said.
When asked if this would leave other neighborhoods short-staffed, the deputy mayor said moving the officers will not leave other neighborhoods behind. He said they will make sure everyone is being protected.
"So officers who move to this detail from somewhere else, a different officer will fill that void at the current zone," Pawlak said.
The plan is to get this Downtown safety initiative in place over the course of this month.
According to Pawlak, that staffing of 18 will be during the afternoon and evenings. That's the peak time for people to be out and for crime to happen. County Executive Rich Fitzgerald said if the city needs county police help, they can be used again.
