Police will have heavy presence during Light Up Night festivities

PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh police said they will have a heavy presence Friday night as thousands of people gather Downtown for Light Up Night.

In addition to uniformed officers, plainclothes officers will be out in force. They will also receive assistance from Pennsylvania State Police, which will have its aviation patrol unit keeping watch from above the crowd.

“There's no credible threat, but at the same time, we will have observers in many of the buildings here, parking garages and office buildings, to hopefully catch problems that might arise,” Wendell Hissrich, Pittsburgh public safety director, said.

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Hissrich called the plan for tonight's event the most extensive he's seen in his two years on the job.

While a new Pittsburgh police substation on Liberty Avenue will be utilized by police, it will not be open to the public, a spokesperson said. The goal was to have it open by Light Up Night, but it will now officially open Monday.

Efforts to curtail violence Downtown, particularly in Market Square, have ramped up in recent years. Four people were shot in Market Square during Fourth of July celebrations in 2016, and a woman was shot in 2012 during Light Up Night.

Cox Media Group