New sense of unease follows stabbings in city
Officials hold talks to seek better safety
People waiting for buses Friday afternoon at the stop near Smithfield Street and Sixth Avenue — where a day earlier two women were stabbed, one fatally — were being more vigilant than usual following what police believe was a random act of violence.
Several of those who were waiting for bus rides home about 5 p.m. said they were being wary of their surroundings as well as those around them.
“You never know people,” said Zach Bird, 18, of Wilkinsburg, as he stood at the stop. “I definitely have a little more awareness to everything, definitely making sure of my surroundings … kind of peoplewatching just to see if anything’s out of the ordinary.”
Meanwhile, Downtown stakeholders, residents and business owners convened at Point Park University to meet with police and city officials to discuss public safety issues.
The meeting, arranged by the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, had been scheduled before Thursday’s stabbings.
In a statement, the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership said it convened “a group of stakeholders to discuss the Wood Street corridor and a range of topics including supportive services for individuals experiencing homelessness, police outreach and how we can create stronger connections with the community of residents, business and property owners that are interested in ensuring the collective growth and investment continues along this corridor.
“We were very pleased with the engagement of all the stakeholders as [Friday’s] conversation was productive and allowed us to identify opportunities to increase communication and collaboration as well as
advocate for additional support. We look forward to continuing these conversations and working in support of creating a stronger community.”
Karamagi Rujumba, director of development and communications for the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation, said the meeting grew out of concerns about an increase in homeless people, aggressive panhandling, loitering, public intoxication and public urination in the corridor — problems similar to those raised by the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust in a July 10 letter to Mayor Bill Peduto.
The issues, Mr. Rujumba said, are starting to affect business in the corridor, with some retailers experiencing a drop in sales. The History & Landmarks Foundation owns several buildings along Wood Street and on Market Street in Market Square.
“We think it’s reaching a tipping point where there is going to be a negative effect, a loss of business,” he said.
The letter the Cultural Trust sent to Mr. Peduto came in the wake of a shooting that left two people critically injured in the Cultural District following the July 4 fireworks display Downtown. The double stabbing on Thursday was not in the Cultural District, but in another heavily traveled part of Downtown. Police say James Wyatt, 23, of McKeesport, fatally stabbed Janice Purdue-Dance, 61, of Erie, right in front of a city officer, and a second woman was injured.
Reyne Kacsuta, the Zone 2 police commander, attended Friday’s meeting, Mr. Rujumba said, but did not say specifically what steps are being taken to address problems. There were indications, Mr. Rujumba said, that there eventually could be increases in beat officers and officers on bicycles or horseback.
“They said they are aware of it and they are aware that something needs to be done and they are taking steps to address it, but there were no concrete steps [offered],” he said.
The Pittsburgh Bureau of Police did not respond to a request for comment.
The one common refrain among the stakeholders and business owners who attended, Mr. Rujumba said, was that the problems have gotten worse over time.
“There was a sense of ‘Hey, city, you guys ought to know this is now getting out of hand,’” he said.
John Valentine, executive director of the Pittsburgh Downtown Community Development Corp., called Friday’s meeting a “good start.”
“But we have a long way to go. This was just the first step. It’s good to get the input from all the stakeholders and there’s a will to find solutions to make Downtown a safe place for everyone,” he said.
Mr. Peduto recently said the city is working with Allegheny County and nonprofit agencies to address issues such as homelessness Downtown and to get people into housing.
But at the same time, he vowed not “to round up the homeless, the addicted and those with mental health [issues] with police officers” or to “criminalize” such issues.
Back at the bus stop at Smithfield and Sixth, Peter Rew, 33, of Brookline, who works Downtown, said he was taking extra precautions to ensure his safety.
“I even made a point to make sure I was standing up against the building today so that no one could come behind me,” Mr. Rew said. “It seems silly, but it just came through my mind. I’m not going to allow myself to not have visibility of who’s around or what’s happening.”