pop culture, pittsburgh, and potpouri

Friday, June 20, 2008

Pittsburgh Has Deadliest Most Violent Week in Years...


Pittsburgh is in a state on chaos right now. The city is generally a safe city with violence and shootings isolated to a a certain group of people in certain areas of the city. Well, those areas are growing and spreading out. The last week has seen a rash of shootings that have lead 3 people dead and six people wounded. The sad part is that murders in Pittsburgh are in the majority black on black and ravage poor african american areas. The city is calling on the NAACP to get in volved. Shootings are usually overwhelmingly centered in Homewood, but the last week has seen violence in Oakland (The O of course which has never been a stranger to shootings), Mount Washington, Allentown, and of course Beltzhoover. The shootings have caused Pittsburgh Police to step up patrols in the city. On Friday afternoon, Chief Harper of the Pittsburgh Policer said there would be at least 18 additional officers on the streets in those neighborhoods on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. Its HOT right now in the city. John law is on the move!! This has prompted a great quote from Chief Harper. When asked about the string of violence Harper responded "The OK Corral is not in the city of Pittsburgh." The violence has been very young in age. Police will be stopping young people under 18 who are out past the city's curfew, Chief Harper said. In July and August, the city's curfew requires that youths younger than 17 be off public streets by 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and by midnight on weekends (the curfew starts an hour earlier in other months). Harper faulted some community groups for not expressing more outrage after the death of 15-year-old Raymond Reese last weekend in a shooting on Pasadena Street on Mount Washington. He called on groups like the NAACP, the Urban League and BPEP to use their influence in the communities to try to end the violence. The number of homicides in the city so far this year is 34, up from 30 or 31 at this time last year, police said. Go Pittsburgh!!! The last thing we need is any young people killed in this city. There are already to many old people here. After the police shooting of a young man in Carick after he shot and killed a police dog, I think we about ready for another Johnny Gamage. This could be the match that will light the fire. It would be nice to hear a good news story coming out of this city once in a while. After the Penguins lost it has all been down hill for the Burgh.

No comments: