Pittsburgh police will no longer respond to calls that are not 'in-progress' emergencies amid resource crunch

In a move to manage resources amidst staffing challenges, Pittsburgh police have announced changes to their response protocols that will include officers no longer responding to calls not considered “in-progress emergencies.” Such calls would include incidents such as theft, harassment, and burglary alarms.

Instead, calls will be directed to a telephone recording unit, where reports can be filed over the phone, according to WPXI Channel 11. Additionally, from 3 am to 7 am, the city's six police stations will operate without desk officers present. During these hours, only about 20 officers will be available for overnight shifts to cover the entire city. Call boxes linked to 911 will be available for emergencies during this time.

“There is not any data to support us having our zones manned by personnel from 3 am to 7 am. For the very one off instance I can’t make an exception,” said Scirotto.

However, the Pittsburgh Police Officers’ Union expressed concerns about the policy change, attributing it directly to the department's understaffing. Union President Bob Swartzwelder highlighted the challenges faced by officers and cautioned against potential contract violations resulting from overcommitment and under-resourcing of the police department.

“The staffing plan designed by police command is a direct response to a seriously understaffed police department,” Swartzwelder said in a statement. “Only time will tell if the plan works or the Chief will need to pivot and modify his plan quickly.”

“The FOP will be watching carefully for any contract violations that develop especially when non-emergency events come up such as St. Patrick’s Day, parades, large concerts, July 4th etc. In short, the FOP believes that the police department is seriously over-committed and under-resourced,” he concluded.