New Pittsburgh police substation opens downtown

PITTSBURGH — Local leaders and private partners united in downtown Pittsburgh on Wednesday, celebrating the official opening of the new police substation.

A ribbon cutting happened just after noon inside of the station on Wood Street, named the Public Safety Center.

Mayor Ed Gainey thanked the many stakeholders who made it happen, including PNC, which owns the building. Police will occupy two floors, and use the basement level for storage.

Pittsburgh Police Chief Larry Scirotto told Channel 11 that 20 officers have been assigned to the building, and will focus solely on the downtown area. The center will be staffed from 8 a.m. to midnight each day, with Zone 2 officers then taking care of overnight coverage.

“This is no different than community policing in one of our neighborhoods,” Scirotto said. “We’re on bikes, we’re on foot, because I want and need our officers to be available and accessible in a different way than we do in some of our neighborhoods, and to do that, they need to know the business owners.”

Business owners in recent years and citizens have expressed concerns about the safety of downtown.

Scirotto told reporters that violent crime is trending down, though theft is a concern that they’re addressing. He said that downtown is “generally safe” and hopes the center will help folks feel that way.

“Perception of safety matters,” Scirotto said.

Channel 11 spoke with a downtown worker who said the substation will make a positive difference.

“More police will make it feel more safe, definitely more protected,” the worker said.

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