Zone 2 Crime Prevention Initiative
A message from Commander Eric Holmes:
Dear Zone Two Lawrenceville and Hill District Stakeholders,
I am pleased to announce that Chief McDonald and Chief Bryant have provided the opportunity for me to develop a Crime Prevention initiative for the summer of 2014 in two Zone 2 business districts.
The two business districts that I picked are Lawrenceville and the Hill District.
The 2014 Zone Two Summer Business District Crime Prevention Initiative (SBDCPI) which runs from May 5–August 31, 2014 – is a program designed to:
- Reduce retail theft, vehicle break-ins, and other Quality of Life crimes through focused prevention and targeted enforcement in Zone Two business districts
- Identify and arrest violent, chronic offenders in Zone Two business districts
- Put criminals on notice that, if a crime occurs in a designated SBDCPI area, all PBP law enforcement resources will be utilized
- Conduct community / business outreach initiatives in Zone Two business districts
How It Works
The Zone Two 2014 Summer Business District Crime Prevention Initiative (SBDCPI) will focus on the Lawrenceville and Hill District business districts and in these two areas, there will be enhanced uniform patrols to make contact with business and community members.
The Zone Two 2014 (SBDCPI) will include a variety of patrol methods, investigative methods and uses of technology.
These areas were selected after careful analysis of crime data.
Lawrenceville is one of the largest neighborhood areas in the City of Pittsburgh. It is northeast of downtown, and like many of the city’s riverfront neighborhoods, it has an industrial past. Lawrenceville is bordered by the Allegheny River, Polish Hill, Bloomfield, the Strip District and Stanton Heights.
History
Lawrenceville was founded in 1814 by William Foster, father of composer Stephen Foster, who was born there in 1826. It is named for Captain James Lawrence, hero of the War of 1812.
Present
Today, Lawrenceville is undergoing revitalization and has been noted by The New York Times as a “go-to destination”. The neighborhood is one of the premier art, live music, and dining hubs of Western Pennsylvania.
Many art galleries have opened up all along Lawrenceville’s main artery, Butler Street, and the surrounding area, along with clothing boutiques, furniture stores, and a number of new restaurants and coffee shops.
The Lawrenceville (SBDCPI) will include the business district on Butler Street between 36th and 56th Street.
The Lawrenceville SBDCPI will be on varying days and times between the hours of 1200 and 2300.
The Hill District is a historical neighborhood and is bordered by the Downtown on the west, the Strip District and Polish Hill on the north, the Bluff (Uptown) on the southwest, and Oakland on the east and southeast.
History
The Hill District is a collection of diverse neighborhoods. Harlem Renaissance poet Claude McKay once called the district “the crossroads of the world,” referring to the neighborhood’s heyday in the 1930s–1950s. It is known to many Pittsburghers as simply “The Hill.”
Present
A new grocery store came to fruition in late 2013. A new Carnegie Liberty has opened. The YMCA built a $9 million branch in the neighborhood, complete with a rooftop garden. A group of investors have gathered to restore the New Granada Theater, a historic jazz club where Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington once performed. Local college Duquesne University has a new pharmacy in the neighborhood, the first university-operated community pharmacy in the US.
The Hill District (SBDCPI) will include the Centre Ave. business district between the Hill House and Carnegie Library.
The Hill District SBDCPI will be on various days and times between the hours of 1100 and 1900.
Sgt. Robert Digiacomo will be the administrator of this initiative for Zone Two.
Thank you for your continued partnership and support,
Cmdr. Holmes