Safety

PUTTING NEIGHBORHOODS FIRST

The Kevin Acklin Public Safety Plan

[Read Kevin's speech introducing the plan.]

If we’re going to grow as a city, make Pittsburgh a destination for young families looking for safe communities, and secure our future as the most livable city in America, we need to protect our neighborhoods from drugs, vandalism, burglary and violent crime. 

The Kevin Acklin Public Safety Plan does just that. By re-focusing a portion of our public safety resources on the neighborhoods, we can help make Pittsburgh the safest big city in America.  

Here's how:

Neighborhood-Based Policing

The City's community oriented policing strategy is a patchwork of poorly coordinated programs that cover only a small portion of the city. In addition, less than 4% of the City's police force is assigned to community oriented policing activities. The result is a “band-aid” approach to crime prevention policy, which is ineffective in the eyes of many Pittsburghers.

Kevin Acklin will put our neighborhoods first, making sure that our streets and corner stores are safe and clean for our families. The Acklin Public Safety Plan will: 

•  Invest in neighborhood block watches, providing for better communication with residents and police officers

•  Commit more officers to neighborhood patrols, with more visibility in our neighborhood business districts and playgrounds

•  Commit more officers to attending school and community events, before crime occurs, focusing on safety education and crime prevention

•  Emphasize attacking the sources of criminal activity by investing in domestic violence prevention and promoting drug and alcohol treatment options for non-violent offenders

• Create a Neighborhood Safety Commission, within the Mayor's office, comprised of public safety experts, active duty police officers and community leaders to advise Kevin and implement a neighborhood safety plan

Common Sense Investments in the Police Force

Our uniformed men and women are dedicated and hard working, but they don’t have all the resources they deserve to protect our city from those who would do it harm. Last spring, in the wake of the terrible shooting deaths of three Pittsburgh police officers, the Fraternal Order of Police worked with City Council to issue a report and recommendations for improvements in the police force—none of which were incorporated into the Mayor's 2010 budget. We must make sure our police officers have the latest technology, and the most useful tools, to keep our neighborhoods safe. 

Kevin Acklin will bring common-sense investments to the police force by increasing its size and modernizing its operations. The Acklin Public Safety Plan will:

•  Increase the size of the Police Bureau by 200 officers in four years

•  Invest in radios that work in dead zones and have one-touch panic buttons

•  Invest in a “silent dispatch” system to facilitate more open communication between officers and dispatch

•  Provide personal GPS systems for each officer, so dispatch can see where they are and more effectively dispatch officers to crime scenes

•  Purchase ceramic shields that can withstand ordinance from assault rifles

•  Purchase ceramic bullet-proof vests that can withstand ordinance from assault rifles

•  Continue to purchase rifles for police officers, but allow each officer to own his or her own on-duty rifle.

Increased Officer Retention

It’s time to end the Pittsburgh Police Bureau's de facto “farm team” status. Too many of our city's finest serve for a under a decade, and then leave for other departments. If we want to build strong links between the community and the police bureau, we need to entice officers to stay in our communities for years to come. 

Studies show that officers are looking for good pay, safety, and opportunities for advancement in their job, and they will go to the department that offers them the best opportunities.  

Kevin Acklin will make sure Pittsburgh's uniformed men and women work on a professional environment, where their skills and safety are valued. The Acklin Public Safety Plan calls for:

•  Investments in new police training facilities 

•  More rigorous training opportunities and education incentives for our officers

•  More investments in officer safety

•  A comprehensive study on officer pay and benefits

•  A solution to the pension crisis (already proposed)

No candidate has a stronger, more personal commitment to public safety than Kevin Acklin. When he’s elected Mayor, public safety in all of our city neighborhoods will be a top priority.