City creating health and safety office
Mayor Bill Peduto has announced plans to create an Office of Community Health and Safety.
According to a news release, city resources will be redirected through the office to house social services, public health and social work experts to aid first responders in situations that require longer-term assistance, harm reduction and other services.
The office will operate under the Department of Public Safety and the Office of the Mayor.
“Our public safety personnel are available 24/7 but often go into situations that are beyond the scope of their training. The individuals and communities they encounter need help beyond law enforcement or emergency medical attention,” Mr. Peduto said in the statement.
He added the new office will allow public safety time to determine the specific support an individual or family may need by seeing people “holistically” and connecting them to more “sustainable resources and assistance.”
The office will seek to meet several goals including developing community health and safety priorities and areas of focus based on community input and areas of need, community health and safety advisers, regular training with all public safety personnel to ensure preparedness in complex situations and collaboration with higher education programs in Pittsburgh to train social work students.
Currently, the office has 17 preliminary areas of focus, including racism, violence, poverty and homelessness.
Reallocations in the 2021 budget and other external funding opportunities for the office will be determined by the mayor’s office and the Department of Public Safety in conjunction with Pittsburgh City Council.