Flyers about "downtown takeover" prompt warning from Pittsburgh Public Schools after big brawl
Days after kids got into a major brawl in Downtown Pittsburgh, some school leaders are reacting, trying to get ahead of more potential activity this weekend.
Pittsburgh Public Schools left a voice message for families Tuesday night, informing them about a flyer circulating on social media of a "downtown takeover" on Friday.
"This event is not sanctioned, not supervised, and poses a serious safety concern for our students. We urge all families to discourage their children from attending," part of Pittsburgh Public Schools' message said.
The location is unclear, but it's scheduled for less than one week after a large brawl at Market Square, a place Pittsburgh Public Safety said has become a hub for kids and teens to gather, and where a fight early Sunday evening resulted in seven minors cited for disorderly conduct, and around 20 treated for exposure to pepper spray.
As of Friday evening, there were no reports of any Downtown meetup. However, the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police said it had extra patrols in the area of the potential event.
"We want to make sure that we have an overt presence Downtown, and we're able to keep the peace," Police Chief Jason Lando told KDKA on Friday.
Mayor Corey O'Connor on Friday added that officer shifts were adjusted to ensure a presence Downtown.
"It's always better to be overly prepared than not," he said.
Lando acknowledged that not all kids are causing trouble, adding that city officials have to find better solutions for those who are.
"We want our youth to have a good time," he said. "We want them to feel welcome in our neighborhoods, but you've got to obey the rules."
Business owners on alert
Jen Grippo, owner of Original Oyster House, said on Wednesday that they were closed at the time of the weekend brawl. However, Grippo said they remain in close contact with their neighboring businesses about any activity.
"It was certainly disappointing," Grippo told KDKA on Wednesday.
Grippo said she and Kathy Marsico, the operations manager at Nicholas Coffee and Tea Co., were already aware of the potential event on Friday.
"It's a crazy world right now," Marsico told KDKA on Wednesday. "It's a cultural, social, kind of environment where the kids are very, you know, just attracted to that type of behavior."
Marsico said police are urging all shops that don't have cameras to put them up and to provide them with access to assist in these situations. She also said they work with an outreach team called AIM.
"They're trying to make sure that the kids act responsibly and don't take part in those types of events," Marsico said.
Between these efforts and the PPS voicemail, businesses are encouraged by the proactive measures, but do feel more long-term solutions are needed, something the Pittsburgh Public Safety director said is in the works.
"We just want to make sure that even if the kids do come Downtown, you're being safe, you're being respectful, and you're not going to cause a ruckus," Grippo said.
