PITTSBURGH — Channel 11’s Lisa Sylvester recently went on a ride to see firsthand how officers are cracking down on crime in some of the city’s most dangerous neighborhoods.
“They’re like rats, they don’t like the light of day,” said Pittsburgh police Commander Timothy O’Connor of Zone 5.
O’Connor says police know where the problem areas are in the city, and they’re now going into those areas, hopeful to make some changes.
Beginning this week, Pittsburgh police will have 10 more officers on beat patrols in Zone 5, which covers the city’s east side neighborhoods, with a focus on building relationships with the community, while also driving out the criminals.
“The criminals would like us to go away, but that’s not going to happen,” said O’Connor.
This past summer, O’Connor said officers went into a dangerous area known as “The Hole,” which is notorious for drugs and violence.
“The whole courtyard would be full of people either buying or selling drugs,” said O’Connor. “Now, it’s virtually come to a halt.”
For those criminals run out of the area, O’Connor had this simple message: “Don’t come back or you’re going to jail.”
WPXI
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