Pittsburgh leaders meet with citizens, business owners to discuss safety on South Side
Officials from Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey’s office met Tuesday with citizens and business owners to talk about making the South Side a safer place. City leaders say they’re encouraged by what they’re seeing.
RELATED: Target 11: Pittsburgh mayor reacts to undercover officers patrolling South Side
In July, city officials say there was just one shooting. In July 2021, there were five.
“We’re ... going to have an increased presence until we have this at least controlled in a better manner,” Mayor Gainey’s Chief of Staff Jake Wheatley said.
Pittsburgh Police Commander John Fisher told us last week that extra patrols are having an impact.
“We’ve increased the manpower down there, and we are utilizing some undercover plainclothes officers,” Fisher said.
Staffing is still not what it was a year ago. Officials say they have 15 officers on each shift plus a supervisor. Fisher told Channel 11 in July, they had 30 a year ago.
Wheatley also cited the closure of the Foxtail and Skybar as making a difference in disturbances.
“We have seen with their closure a decrease in activity. So, we want to talk about ways to, if they are to reopen, to reopen in a way that is conducive to us,” Wheatley said.
Other topics included the homeless population. Neighborhood Services Manager Rebekkah Ranallo says help is on the way, with 150 new beds coming to a facility downtown.
“We’ve had a few cases where we’ve needed to do some relocation because of violence or hostility, but for the most part, these folks are keeping to themselves,” Ranallo said.
Business owners also asked about parking enforcement. City officials say they are not enforcing violations after 6 p.m. becasuse they have not had police protection with parking crews.
Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
TRENDING NOW:
5 people, 2 local nursing homes, including Brighton Rehab, indicted on health care fraud charges Suspect surrenders following ‘barricaded gunman’ incident in Ross Township 13-year-old boy allegedly in possession of heroin, stolen gun arrested in McKees Rocks VIDEO: Man, woman accused of using chain to try to break into ATM on Pittsburgh’s North Shore DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts
