Pittsburgh Blotter (2024)

FAQs

Are Pittsburgh officers no longer responding to 911? ›

PITTSBURGH —The Pittsburgh Bureau of Police has implemented a new response policy. Beginning March 11, officers will only respond to calls of in-progress emergencies, WPXI reported.

Pittsburgh police officers will no longer respond to every burglar alarm that sounds citywide, a move public safety officials believe will increase officers' productivity and cut costs.

And the numbers of police officers in Pittsburgh and across the U.S. began to drop. By the end of 2022, the city was down to about 830 officers. That fell to roughly 750 by the end of last year. As of last week, there were about 740 officers in the bureau — a loss of some 250 from the most recent peak in 2020.

How to Obtain a Copy of a Police Report: The Pittsburgh Bureau of Police Central Records and Reporting Unit (CRRU) is open Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. The address is 660 First Avenue, 3rd floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15219. All police reports are $15 - check or money order only.

In 2020, during the nationwide frenzy to “defund the police,” the Pittsburgh City Council passed laws that included a police hiring freeze and a diversion of ten per cent of the annual police budget towards “evidence-based violence prevention social service programs.” A local news source reports that in 2020, the ...

Don't hang up...stay on the line! Everyone makes mistakes, and there is no penalty to accidentally calling 911. The Communications Dispatcher will want to verify your name and address, and ensure that there is not a real emergency. If you do hang up, they will call you back to confirm that you are safe.

No. You have the constitutional right to remain silent.

If you do hang up, a dispatcher will call you back to make sure you're not experiencing a true emergency. “When someone accidentally calls 911, it is our job to assume an issue requires a response until we know otherwise,” explains 911 Division Manager Brooke Hazlett.

Illegal Search and Seizure

Should police ignore your refusal and conduct an illegal search without a warrant, any evidence they find will be considered inadmissible. Unless you explicitly allow police to enter your home, they are legally barred from doing so without a warrant.

The state with the highest number of police officers is California. This should come as no surprise, as the state of California has the largest population among the states.

Does Pittsburgh have a SWAT team? ›

The SWAT team provides tactical support to local, state and federal agencies, as requested. The Traffic Division is comprised of many parts, all related to the safety of those within the City of Pittsburgh.

The Erie Police SWAT Team was formed in June of 1993. Previously there had been various versions of tactical and specialized units that conducted high-risk operations, but with the formation of the SWAT Team, members received better equipment and training. The full compliment of the Team is 25 officers.

Do I have to show ID when police demand it? Not in Pennsylvania. If you are detained or arrested, you may choose to show ID when police demand it. If you choose not to show ID, you could be detained for a longer time while police attempt to identify you.

Pennsylvania criminal history information may be obtained using the state's web-based application dubbed PATCH (Pennsylvania Access To Criminal History) or by submitting a request form to the police department in person or via mail.

This may be done by visiting the police station lobby 24/7, filling out a request form and presenting it with your identification OR by requesting a copy of the police report online online request form and showing your identification when you pick up the report.

If you call 911 by mistake, don't hang up. Stay on the line and tell the dispatcher it was a mistake. If you hang up, they will call you back and send a police officer to your location.

Agency Statistics: Officers: 872. Data Portal: Pittsburgh Open Data.

The City of Pittsburgh is now accepting applications for the Police Officer position on a continuous basis. The position is currently posted on the employment website www.pghjobs.net.

Originally Answered: can the 911 operator hang up on a caller? Yes. If the call is not an emergency, they can direct the caller to a non-emergency number or another agency, then end the call. If the caller is abusive and does NOT have an actual emergency to report, they can disconnect the call.