PA Bill Number: HB1472
Title: In primary and election expenses, further providing for reporting by candidate and political committees and other persons and for late contributions ...
Description: In primary and election expenses, further providing for reporting by candidate and political committees and other persons and for late contrib ...
Last Action: Referred to STATE GOVERNMENT
Last Action Date: Apr 22, 2024
Homicides continued to decline in Pittsburgh in 2018, even with the Tree of Life mass shooting :: 01/15/2019
PITTSBURGH —The city is spotlighting some encouraging signs for crime fighting in Pittsburgh found in the 2018 figures for homicides and shootings.
Homicides last year were down by 5 percent to 55 victims, 11 of whom were killed in the Tree of Life Synagogue shootings. In 2017, there were 58 homicides in the city.
Pittsburgh has established a clear downward trend -- reducing killings in the city every year for several years.
The number of non-fatal shootings in the city was down by 19 percent, dropping from 140 in 2017 to 114 last year.
"Since 2014, every year we have now seen a decrease in the number of homicides that have occurred in this city. That includes last year and that includes the horrific events that happened at Tree of Life," Mayor Bill Peduto said.
FULL VIDEO: Watch the city's news conference on 2018 crime stats below.
Peduto praised what the city's police bureau and the Department of Public Safety have done.
"However, that's still not good enough. We know that our goal as our true north is to eradicate gun violence within our city. That's why we're taking actions," Peduto said, including the gun legislation pending in City Council.
The success rate in clearing or solving homicides was 71 percent in 2018, vs. less than 5o percent the year before.
The city says the number of reported shots fired in Pittsburgh was down 14 percent last year, dropping from 2,148 to 1,858.
The staffing of more officers and use of better technology -- including more surveillance cameras and expanded coverage for ShotSpotter -- were being credited for the improvements shown in all of the statistics.
But Public Safety Director Wendell Hissrich also said, "The biggest accomplishment is the community outreach."
"To us it's not a program. It's who we are, and that's getting out into the community, getting to know the community and being a partner with the community," Police Chief Scott Schubert said.
Community cooperation gets top credit as well.
"The community meeting the police bureau at every level, having a voice -- that's been very important," Assistant Police Chief Lavonnie Bickerstaff said.
"We've gone to houses of possible shooters, hospitals, schools, even jails to send a message that the violence has to stop," said the Rev. Cornell Jones, the city's group violence intervention coordinator.
