Pittsburgh to partner with University of Cincinnati researchers to improve emergency response

Pittsburgh is looking to partner with the University of Cincinnati researchers to analyze police department data so the city can respond better to emergencies.

The proposal, approved this month by City Council, would allow Pittsburgh police and the city’s Office of Community Health and Safety to partner with the university’s Center for Police Research and Policy to take a data-driven look at public safety.

Under the agreement, Pittsburgh police will share information on officer training, officer demographics, incident reports, use-of-force data, arrest data, officer and civilian injury data, and what types of calls are dispatched and when and where those calls are dispatched, said Laura Drogowski, manager of the Office of Community Health and Safety, which employs social workers, outreach workers and other professionals.

She said the data will then be used to help her office and the city’s first responders better understand how they should be responding to 911 calls.

Analyzing such data, Drogowski said, will help the city determine how to best use resources like social workers and violence prevention teams in collaboration with police and other first responders.

For example, if someone is sleeping on a park bench, that call doesn’t necessitate a police response, but a trained expert who can help offer resources would be beneficial, Drogowski said. Similarly, violence prevention teams being in areas where trends show increased violence could help to curb the problems before a violent situation arises, Drogowski said. And if there are multiple calls to one house where an elderly resident keeps falling and calling 911 for help, the response could focus on helping pair the person with appropriate resources before a serious injury occurs.

“We want everybody who’s responding on our public safety side to be as well prepared as possible, recognizing there may be calls where they may not be the primary responder or they may not respond at all,” Drogowski said. “We want to ultimately move to a place where we can distinguish what a call is and who we send there.”

The data collected through this initiative will be used in conjunction with input from first responders and community partners, she said.

“This is data-driven, but not with blinders on and failing to recognize the importance of the community’s voice and the first responders’ experiences,” Drogowski said.

Much of the data will also be released publicly, Drogowski said. The first data should be available in the first quarter of 2022, she said.

This comes after City Council recently passed legislation requiring Pittsburgh police to gather and publish data about certain incidents with breakdowns for demographics, including race and gender.

Members of City Council also have recently said they are poised to begin larger efforts to explore police reform in the city.