Pittsburgh police will no longer personally respond to calls that are not deemed as “in-progress emergencies” following recent department policy adjustments.
Non-urgent calls will be directed to a telephone recording unit by dispatch.
Moreover, from 3 to 7 a.m., when fewer 911 calls are typically received, there will be no desk officers available at the six police stations in the city.
Instead, call boxes connected to 911 have been installed. There might be just 22 officers available to patrol the entire city during overnight shifts.
Scirotto mentioned staffing shortages as the city’s police force dropped to 740 officers, down from 835 at the beginning of 2023. A full staff is typically 900 officers.
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