Staff Reports
The city of Pittsburgh has really done it this time. In a move that can only be described as ludicrous, the City Council has approved a budget for 2024 that includes slashing the police force.
Pittsburgh police facing cuts, shortage of officers as enforcement plummetshttps://t.co/PeY0GYmfix
— The Center Square (@thecentersquare) December 28, 2023
The mayor’s budget proposal, released in November, outlines plans to cut a whopping 50 positions from the police department. And get this – 26 of those are actual police officers. They’re getting rid of the very people who are supposed to keep us safe!
While they’re busy axing patrol officers left and right, the higher ranking positions are practically untouched. Only one FTE (that’s fancy talk for “full-time equivalent”) above the rank of sergeant is being cut.
Some so-called “consultant” claimed that the patrol staffing was “excessive.” Can you believe that nonsense? These are the same folks who are out there on the front lines, dealing with all the messes the rest of us wouldn’t touch with a ten-foot pole.
This consultant also recommended moving 45 patrol officers to some wishy-washy “community resource program.” Great, just great. So now, not only are they cutting the number of officers on the streets, but they want to shuffle them off to who knows where, leaving even fewer to actually do the important work of keeping us safe.
If that’s not enough to make your blood boil, reports also show that the city has been struggling to fill open police positions for the past couple of years. And what’s even more alarming is that while all of this is happening, police enforcement in Pittsburgh is at an all-time low. Arrests and traffic stops are dropping like hot potatoes.
Spending on the police department has actually increased over the past seven years. You heard that right. They’re spending more money, but getting rid of officers.
What’s even more concerning is the rise in homicides over the past few years. While assaults and rapes have seen decreases, criminal homicides have been on the rise. Yet, instead of bolstering the police force to address these concerning trends, the city is choosing to slash their numbers.
