The City of Pittsburgh is continuing its safety efforts on the South Side. It's in response to some of the rowdy crowds we've seen over there in recent months.

The city hopes that what happens behind the bricks Friday night at the West Penn Recreation Center bolsters young lives.

"We know that when they are able to utilize these spaces, they're safe," Darius Wallace, strategic program administrator for the City of Pittsburgh, said.

The West Penn Recreation Center is hosting a late-night basketball event this evening.

"You're going to see, of course, basketball – you're going to see some live music," Wallace said. "We're going to have free food for folks."

There will also be groups doing outreach.

"You're going to see some types of community organizations and folks there who are all about violence prevention and supporting our youth," Wallace said.

It's part of CitiParks' effort to help give young people what it calls safe, constructive nighttime options.

"We know basketball is a good carrot in this, a good way to congregate around the sport," Wallace said.

It comes after the city talked with community leaders. Especially after previous incidents of rowdy behavior on the South Side.

"You know, keep them off the streets, out of trouble, out of mischief," Edith Johnson of the South Side Slopes said.

This step partially comes from inspiration.

"We've seen this proven track record in cities like Cleveland and Atlanta," Wallace said.

It's something Wallace says they've tried before, too, using that feedback.

"We got about 60 folks there and it turned out really well," he said.

Wallace says this gives young people the resources they need for positive growth.

"Our youth don't have many spaces to be in Pittsburgh," he said.

People we spoke with on the South Side believe it fills a void.

"That's another outlet for kids, you know, especially older, teenage kids," he said.

Wallace says the city will use tonight's event as a pilot.

"We are looking to hear from our youth tonight to see what they will actually like to see," he said.

The event goes from 9 p.m. to midnight tonight.