PITTSBURGH — In the last six months of 2023, since the City began ramping up its South Side policing, Pittsburgh police announced dozens of arrests and hundreds of citations handed out.
The dedicated group of officers on weekend nights was established over the summer after a string of shootings along East Carson Street.
“Below 18th Street is like a war zone on the weekends,” said Rich Cupka, the owner of Cupka’s Cafe 2 on East Carson Street.
Since its inception, the South Side Entertainment Patrol reportedly made 91 arrests, recovered 18 guns, and issued 629 non-traffic citations.
Police say one arrest came New Year’s Eve.
“There were five shots fired on 18th and Sidney,” Cupka said, describing the incident.
Pittsburgh Police have previously reported that South Side incidents range from gun violence and fighting to drug use, public drunkenness and public urination, and more.
“It’s just out of control,” said Cupka. “You have 3,000 people doing just about whatever they want. In just over a year we’ve had just about every crime on East Carson Street, below 18th Street.”
Even with dedicated weekend patrols, Cupka believes crime is not going down.
He said even more officers are needed.
“You have to enforce the laws, you have to be there all the time, and you can’t stop,” Cupka explained.
According to Cupka, the state of the South Side is more accurately told by the number of businesses closed over the last year.
Channel 11 reported back in June when Fudge Farm fudge and ice cream shop closed due to rising crime.
In July, Carson City Saloon shut down for nearly two months due to safety concerns.
“The real state is not what the city is reporting,” Cupka said. “If you walk down Carson Street right now, we have 26% of the businesses are vacant — 26% vacancies. We had 54 businesses close within the last year. If these stats that they’re putting out are true, why is everything closing down? Why is everyone leaving?”
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