South Side residents, businesses seeing improvements with increased patrols

PITTSBURGH — South Side residents and business owners told Channel 11 that they are feeling encouraged by the increased police presence.

Channel 11 first told you last month about the city’s launch of an Entertainment Patrol.

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Additional officers are now saturating East Carson Street and the surrounding blocks during the overnight hours Thursday through Sunday. The effort comes after numerous violent incidents.

“There has been a positive impact, you can hear it, you can feel it, and of course, you can see it in the statistics that they’re bringing forward,” said Cassandra Dixon, a South Side resident and member of the South Side Community Action Network.

During this past weekend, officers issued dozens of citations and made eight arrests. Arrest reasons included DUI, False Identification, Disorderly Conduct, and other non-violent offenses. On the launch weekend, eight arrests were made as well, but six were on felony charges with three guns being recovered.

Dixon said that her group has been in communication with police, city leaders, residents and business owners.

“There’s been a fabulous collaboration,” she said.

A group of business owners have even formed their own group, called the South Side Hospitality Partnership.

Member John DeMauro, owner of The Urban Tap, said they’ve been meeting biweekly and communicating regularly with law enforcement representatives and local leaders.

He said bar owners are holding themselves accountable, and not just leaving the improvements up to law enforcement.

“We’ve started a security channel where we monitor behavior on the street, directly linked to Zone 3,” he said. “We’ve incorporated a common scanning system where we share information among members, so if a patron commits something inside of an establishment, we’re able to see that.”

DeMauro said that he too is a South Side resident, and many of his fellow partnership members live locally as well.

He is hopeful that the all-hands-on-deck approach will permanently improve the South Side. Business owners hope that the assistance they’re receiving from law enforcement will continue.

“I think we have a good opportunity to change the narrative down here,” he said.

Dixon said that she too hopes to change the South Side’s reputation.

“The South Side is a fabulous place to live, to work, to come and enjoy. You can eat food from all around the world right here. The neighbors are fantastic,” she said. “It’s heartwarming to see what we can do to change our neighborhood back into what we love so much.”

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