Many people saw the news items last week in the Post-Gazette or WTAE about three teens arrested for armed holdups in Oakland and the Hill District.  These incidents sounded a lot like what happened in Polish Hill a couple of weeks ago.  We asked our community liaison, Officer Janine Davis of Zone 2, if she could let us know if she heard anything.  She has just responded:

“I just received confirmation that the 3 actors arrested last week are in fact the ones who struck in Polish Hill and Lawrenceville (I’m not sure which robbery in Lawrenceville at this time).  I will keep you updated.”

So, Polish Hill can breathe easier.  Our crime rate is generally so low that incidents like these really stand out.  The best way to fight crime is to communicate, and do our part.  If you see something that doesn’t look right, call 911, don’t wait for someone else to do it.

In some situations, calling the police can be awkward.  If a close-by neighbor has a domestic situation, or might be dealing drugs, you might not want them to know who reported them.  When you call 911, tell them your concern and provide your phone number.  The reporting officers can call instead of knocking on your door.  Another option is to file a silent complaint report.  You can find forms online; we also have them at the PHCA office.

And don’t forget — tell the police you want to file a report.  They don’t do it automatically.  Without a report, there is no record kept of the incident, so we can’t tell if there are patterns of activity.