Police Chief Larry Scirotto gives update on crime in downtown Pittsburgh – WPXI

PITTSBURGH – A broad daylight shooting on Smithfield Street in June brought about change for the city of Pittsburgh.

“By doing this, we have increased our engagement and officer presence in the areas that we know are most problematic for us, where people come downtown with no other goal than to cause chaos,” said Pittsburgh Police Chief Larry Scirotto.

Scirotto makes sure police officers on foot and on bicycles are visible throughout the area, and he says the numbers don't lie.

“There were more than 150 arrests downtown. Many of them were related to drug trafficking. There were 235 citations that had nothing to do with traffic offenses, most of them related to quality of life issues,” Scirotto said.

But the change would not have been possible without the cooperation and support of business owners. Jen Grippo owns the Original Oyster House and chairs the business owners' safety committee, similar to the one on the South Side.

“It's important that we all stay on the same page and support each other. I may experience certain incidents that are different from those of my neighbors,” Grippo said.

She has felt the change and recognizes the importance of other community organizations that have also stepped in to help.

“Downtown AIM stands for reach, inspire, motivate. They engage with our youth outside or inside of school and get to know not only the students but the parents as well,” Grippo said.

Downtown AIM can help on the streets when incidents involving youth occur downtown. All of these groups work together to create change for a better downtown.

“There is still a lot of work ahead of us, but I am convinced that we can do it as long as we support each other, keep talking and speak with one voice,” Grippo said.

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