Heavy Police Presence Planned For Fourth Of July Celebrations At Point State Park

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- As the city of Pittsburgh gears up for the Fourth of July, security in downtown Pittsburgh will also be ramped up.

"We are seeing crowds at events that far exceed the size of crowds from before COVID," said Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto.

The Fourth of July festivities will be no exception. Point State Park will host events starting Sunday evening, and Pittsburgh Public Safety leaders are already preparing.

"There is a concern in the community. We take that concern very seriously and that's why we will have additional officers throughout because we want people to be safe and feel safe when walking from their cars and mass transit," said Pittsburgh Bureau of Police Chief Scott Schubert.

Schubert told KDKA that you will see more uniformed officers in the city, focusing on downtown, the North Shore, Mt. Washington and the South Side. That will be combined with the plan to keep crowds in check along East Carson Street this weekend.

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"We want to prevent anything from happening. We are seeing warning signs of potential problems and we are trying to end it. We will start giving warnings tonight," said Public Safety Director Wendell Hissrich.

New lights will also flood the streets as mounted units patrol. River rescue patrols will also be monitoring the water.

Public Safety's ultimate goal is to keep everyone safe this Fourth of July so people can sit back and enjoy the festivities and watch the Pittsburgh sky light up.

"When we talk about independence, it's not just independence we celebrate for over 200 years. It's independent from this pandemic and taking off the masks and get out and celebrate together as a community," said Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald.

At Point State Park on Sunday, there will be music and vendors from 6 to 10 p.m. and the fireworks begin at 9:30 p.m.

There will be extra security checkpoints at Point State Park so check the city's website on what you are and not allowed to bring.