Threat against Pittsburgh police officers leads to change in patrols, response

PITTSBURGH — Target 11 uncovered a possible threat against Pittsburgh police officers that made the department change the way it’s responding to calls in Zone 5, which is the East Liberty, Homewood and Garfield area. The threat was reported to a detective who passed it along to a supervisor.

“They are unspecified,” said Cmdr. Jason Lando, of Zone 5. “They haven’t been confirmed, but we don’t want to take an unnecessary risk.”

Channel 11 investigator Rick Earle sat down with Lando for an exclusive interview.

He said in light of the possible threat, he’s ordered two officers in every patrol car, and at least two cars will respond to calls. If one car arrives before the other, the officers in the first car have been told to wait.

“They typically respond to the periphery of the area, and they’ll wait for the second car to arrive and then they’ll go in together,” said Lando. “So the one car will look out for the other.”

Lando said in some cases, police are also asking residents with minor complaints to file reports over the phone. He's specifically talking about complaints that aren't an emergency or don't require an officer to collect evidence. Lando said the system serves two purposes.

"It keeps the officers safer, but it also keeps officers available to answer priority calls, so they wouldn't be tied up at another scene," said Lando.

Lando said none of his officers have been threatened and so far, there have been no protests or anti-police messages like those found in the Strip District.

He promised residents that the extra safety precautions won’t compromise their safety.

“We recognize that this is a very sensitive situation on both sides,” said Lando. “First and foremost, we want to make sure the public knows that any precautions we take will in no way affect the public safety or how we deliver our services to the community. Anything we do is purely to give our officers an extra level of security as they go out.”

At a news conference Wednesday night, Lando said that if police can link the threats to anyone, they will file charges if it is a chargeable offense.

“We just want to be very careful about the information we release, not because we’re trying to hide anything, but because it’s a safety situation for our officers and also for the neighborhood as well,” Lando said.

Lando pointed out that many people have stopped and thanked officers for their service.

This comes at the same time that police Chief Cameron McLay takes part in a gathering in Washington, D.C., about policing and race relations.

Cox Media Group