Pittsburgh wants to formally partner with 18 outside law enforcement agencies to help provide security during next month’s 2026 NFL Draft, a spectacle expected to draw hundreds of thousands of people to the city.
A bill introduced Tuesday to City Council would allow Pittsburgh to enter cooperation agreements with municipal, county, university and federal law enforcement agencies.
Though the U.S. Department of Homeland Security appears on the list, agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement — which falls under that department — will not be included in the agreement, said Cara Cruz, a Pittsburgh public safety spokeswoman.
The city is instead coordinating with DHS agencies that represent “emergency/disaster preparedness services,” Cruz said in a statement.
Cruz said she could not provide details about the number of police from Pittsburgh or other law enforcement agencies that will be on hand for the three-day event.
Agencies that assist the city with the draft will pay their officers out of their own budgets and will not expect the city to cover the cost, she said.
Officials have predicted upwards of half a million people could descend on Downtown and the North Shore for the draft, which runs April 23-25.
Council on Tuesday waived its rules so it could fast-track the bill, which will come up Wednesday for discussion and a preliminary vote. Council could approve the measure as early as next week.
Cooperation agreements are being sought for the following agencies:
- Allegheny County Sheriff
- Greene County Sheriff
- Beaver County Sheriff
- Mercer County Sheriff
- Lawrence County Sheriff
- Washington County Sheriff
- Westmoreland County Park Police
- Allegheny County Police Department
- Chester County Police
- Northern Regional Police Department
- Center Township Police Department
- Pitcairn Borough Police Department
- University of Pittsburgh Police
- West Virginia University Police
- U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco & Explosives
- U.S Transportation Security Administration
- U.S. Department of Homeland Security
- FBI
