Uniform Crime Stats Show Crime In Pittsburgh Is Dropping

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Crime in the city of Pittsburgh is trending down.

Pittsburgh Police and the mayor's office tweeted on Monday the Uniform Crime Reporting stats for the city's six zones for the first half of the year.

Uniform Crime Report stats for the city and six zones from Jan 1 - June 30, 2019.#Pittsburgh had a 5% drop in incidences compared to the same time frame last year and a 13% drop compared to the 5 yr average. Violent crime is down 10% over the first half and down 24% over 5 yrs. pic.twitter.com/AkU74Nqirp

— Pittsburgh Police (@PghPolice) August 12, 2019

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The numbers show a 5 percent drop in incidents compared to the same time frame last year — Jan. 1 through June 30th — and a 13 percent drop compared to the 5-year average.

The numbers show violent crime down is down 10 percent over the first half of the year and down 24 percent over five years.

Mayor Bill Peduto credits the hard work of the Pittsburgh Police but knows there is more work to do.

The mayor also credits neighborhoods working with police to stop crime before it happens.

"Each of the police zones incorporates community leaders," Peduto said. "And these zone citizens meet on a regular basis with police, giving them the information of the house where they believe the drug deal is happening or the individual who they believe is committing a crime."

And downtown, Peduto said foot patrols and bicycle police will increase in the coming months and years.

More officers will be walking the beat on a regular basis and not just for events downtown.

"You're going to start seeing the horses ... used more in downtown," Peduto said.

Thirty-six officers will soon be joining the force by the end of the year.

Peduto said the force is the largest its been sine 2002 and a zone seven could be implemented in a few years.