A study has been released that shows the Pittsburgh Police Department is adequately staffed right now, and that 188 officers could be reallocated to other areas of need.
But Chief Larry Scirotto disagrees and says he won’t remove patrol officers.
The bureau currently has just under 800 officers on staff with 30 new recruits beginning Monday.
Scirotto says the department does not have a staffing crisis, even though the police union has complained about mandatory overtime, and that the current staffing situation can keep the city “very safe on a daily basis.”
But Scirotto continues to believe that the 900 officers that are budgeted by the city is a “good amount of officers for us to have.”
“we’re not seeking to create a baseline, we’re seeking excellence,” added Scirotto.
Scirotto called the study a good blueprint and said it wasn’t a mandate and will help guide them in future decisions.
The study was conducted by a California-based Matrix Consulting Group.
It also featured a survey that showed many officers are unhappy and don’t believe city leadership supports them.
55 percent of those who participated in the survey disagreed or strongly disagreed when asked if they were satisfied with their job. 86 percent doesn't believe the city's leadership supports them.
Mayor Ed Gainey said Wednesday, during a news conference about the study, that they have started taking steps to listen to officers and address their needs.
88 percent either disagreed or strongly disagreed when asked if the department was heading in the right direction. Police Chief Larry Scirotto says that survey was conducted last September before he took over and believes things are improving.