The following report is by Pittsburgh Action 4 News:
The head of the union local representing Pittsburgh police officers is critical of the changes to city police scheduling and staffing, which took effect Monday, [February 26th.]
Pittsburgh police will now have lower staffing between 3 a.m. and 7 a.m., and officers are now being scheduled to 10-hour work days, four days a week.
“The FOP is concerned about the PM shift beginning at 4:30 pm and ending at 02:30 am. This shift will absolutely ruin officers personal lives and potentially become family damaging,” wrote Robert Swartzwelder, president of Fraternal Order of Police Fort Pitt Lodge No. 1.
Additionally, no plan is in place to handle the large scale events which plague the City annually. In order to have these events the City intentionally violates the contract they are bound by with the police officers. In short the City is over-committed and under-resourced when police staffing limits are arbitrarily imposed.
When the City cancels the fun filled events, the citizens and businesses will become boisterous. Until then, only the officers and their families will continue to suffer.
Swartzwelder wrote to Pittsburgh’s Action News 4.
Under the new policy, which took effect Monday, lower-priority calls will be directed to a telephone reporting unit rather than having an officer show up on the scene.
Burglary alarms will now require a second confirmation before sending an officer because of the high number of false alarms.
Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 sought reactions to the new policies from people who live, work, and shop in the city’s South Side neighborhood.
“It’s just kind of weird. It’s kind of the whole point of the police force, isn’t it? You know, when you call them, they’re supposed to be there. That’s the whole point. If you call and they don’t come, what’s the sense in having them at all, you know what I mean?” said Ray Matthews, of the South Side. “I think it’s a small recipe for disaster, to be honest.”
If you don’t have a police presence here, people are crazier. People are crazier these days; they just do whatever they want. I think it’s stupid.
Said Brian Moss, of the South Side
“You’re also cutting down on the safety of the neighborhoods,” said Randy Roch, of the South Side.
“During the weekdays, I think it’s alright. There ain’t that much trouble around here,” Kevin Suber, of the Lower Hill District, who was shopping on the South Side
“Now that people know that police aren’t working at certain times, they going to do crime,” said Anthony Russell, of Hill District, who was also shopping on South Side.
“I’m not sure. I’d say it’s probably a good thing to do longer shifts, see more, do more, I don’t know. But I’m not a police officer, I can’t say. That’s up to them,” said Jonathan Crespi, of the South Side.
AUTHOR COMMENTARY
Last week the Pittsburgh Gazette discussed in a piece the ongoing shortages the city’s police are facing, as priority calls are ticking up higher.
The article added:
The bureau’s employment numbers sat at about 740 officers last week, down from the 835 who were working at the start of 2023 and even further down from a full complement of 900.
The ongoing shortfall led city officials to lower the number of officers budgeted for in the 2024 — 850 instead of the traditional 900. The city hasn’t seen a full complement in years as resignations and retirements continue to far outpace new recruits.
A class of about two dozen recruits will graduate this week. Just under 200 are eligible to retire this year.
Ms. Kail-Smith said she, too, is nervous and not just about the changes. Advertising the strategy alerts not just “the well-meaning citizens … but also criminals,” she said.
Truth be told, none of this is overly surprising as other cities are doing similar. Chicago made it a law in 2022 that prevented police from giving chase after a suspect, so, if a suspect or perpetrator cuts and makes a break for it police can not pursue, but only in specific instances, but even that would result in even more paperwork. Needless to say, more crime will rise, obviously, now that police are basically rendered moot and redundant.
[3] For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: [4] For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. [5] Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. Romans 13:3-5
Though the nation’s government and police forces have been wholly corrupted for some time, namely in these large and major cities more so than others, police are still necessary for obvious reasons, the main one simply to act as a deterrent for “conscience sake.” The calls for defending the police and anarchy are ridiculous and nonsensical, and the cities that have rescinded funding and positions of their police forces have seen accelerated crime and violence (surprise surprise, right?). Again, I have no doubt been critical of the corruption with a lot of police forces across the U.S., and for very good reasons, but outright getting rid of them and preventing them from performing the most basic of actions is asking for disaster. But I’ll save my rants for another day.
The point is, more and more of this will continue to happen across the nation; and as economic conditions continue to spiral out of control, and more illegals flood the streets, the coming organized crime waves will be massive, costly, and destructive…
[7] Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? [8] Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also? [9] For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? [10] Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope. (1 Corinthians 9:7-10).
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Police, who needs police? more crime, reduce the police presence???
Buy guns folks; the cops ain’t coming to help ya.
Brass it up!
It screams the tones of the movie, “The Purge”, and it’s sequels. This gives a daily window of time in which crimes will be permissible w/out police interference. That could include murder… This is truly the time of the signs… “Every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” Anarchy. Prepare for the worst; this won’t be contained within cities only.