Last Thursday, in a highly anticipated “town hall” meeting with local residents and business owners, Mayor Gainey revealed his new plan to control crime downtown. In addition to the Allegheny Police officers who had already been deployed to the area, Gainey promised another 18 Pittsburgh officers and a larger downtown substation to replace or complement the existing facility at 600 Liberty Ave. The move was prompted by vociferous complaints from Pittsburgh’s Downtown Partnership, yuppie condo dwellers, as well as heavy coverage in the media of recent incidents, including shootings, in the  area. Downtown crime, suddenly, was a huge problem that must be addressed immediately, before it spiraled out of control.

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