Pa. Police to Spend Extra Hour Clearing Rowdy Streets

June 29--Off-duty Pittsburgh police officers who moonlight as security guards during busy weekend nights at South Side bars will spend an extra hour clearing the streets of rowdy crowds at closing time.

The plan, which will take effect this weekend, is part of an ongoing effort to combat the chronic problem of crowd dispersal on the tavern-saturated thoroughfare, where many bars and nightclubs share the same 2 a.m. closing time. Thousands of revelers flood East Carson Street, where police say loitering leads to problems ranging from public urination and loud noise to shootings and brawls.

Bar owners typically pay for uniformed officers to monitor their establishments until they close. The department will now require those officers to work from 2:30 to 3:30 a.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday as a "proactive measure" to "help expedite patrons departing safely from the area," according to a memo Assistant Chief Maurita Bryant sent throughout the ranks this week.

Crowd-control has been largely the responsibility of on-duty officers, tying up police manpower in the early morning hours. Cmdr. Catherine McNeilly of the Zone 3 station in Allentown was concerned that officers would be kept from promptly answering calls in the district's other neighborhoods.

"We're taking advantage of the staff that's already there," the commander said Thursday. "Just by making them stay an hour beyond closing time, that's going to support what on-duty people have been doing and free them up to do what they're supposed to do."

The city, at least for now, will pay the officers to work the additional hour. Cmdr. McNeilly said she hopes to negotiate a plan that would have bar owners footing at least part of the tab.

"I think it's a great idea, and we're definitely doing it," said Adam DeSimone, the owner of several South Side properties including Diesel, a nightclub where three officers work near the door on weekends. He and other business owners received a letter from the police bureau informing them of the change. "We have no problem participating in the request."

But exactly how much the extra help will cost remains unclear. Sgt. Mike LaPorte, president of the city's police union, who also works an "off-duty detail" on the South Side, said that while bolstered security is necessary, the plan to pay officers for just one hour of their time violates their contract, which says those called in to work overtime must receive four hours of time-and-a-half pay. That cost could be exorbitant, he said.

"We're all for coming up with a way to handle the increase in pedestrian traffic, but their way violates our collective-bargaining agreement," Sgt. LaPorte said.

"We want what everyone wants. We want a safe environment for people to come down there."

Sadie Gurman: [email protected] or 412-263-1878.

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