Pittsburgh Dish

Postal police sweep North Side

What happens when they leave?

Multiple postal inspector cruisers are saturating the Mexican War Streets this morning searching for leads on the whereabouts of two shooters involved in yesterday's attempted robbery and shooting of a mail carrier on North Taylor Street.

The United States Postal Inspection Service is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the arrests. Anyone with information is asked to call the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 1-877-876-2455 and select option 5, or contact the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police at 412-323-7151.

Yesterday's hold-up/shooting is the third gun-related crime in the Mexican War Streets in two weeks. Last Saturday, a thug held a gun to a woman's head in front of Beleza Community Coffeehouse on the corner of Jacksonia and Buena Vista streets at about 8 p.m. On March 13, 27-year-old Dion McIntosh was fatally shot in the chest after he and another man left the Manteca Bar on Monterey Street. No arrests have been made in any of the crimes.

Central North Siders want to know what will happen to the neighborhood after the postal cops leave and residents' safety is left to a financially strapped police department. Long-term solutions are being sought.

"It's not the fault of the rank-and-file cops," said a resident this morning. "The city needs to step in and support them. There's only so much they can do on a limited budget."

Many Pittsburghers are urging for the city to introduce a community policing program such as the one implemented by Nick Pastore, former police chief in New Haven, Conn. During his tenure in the 90's, he fostered outreach to the community, assigned officers to walk the beat in troubled neighborhoods rather than cruising by, established connections with civic, church and gang leaders. He also set up police substations headed by local district managers who met with the citizens of their district. His program became the model for police departments nationwide.

It worked. Until a few years ago when New Haven removed the program. Crime's back and citizen's there want community policing returned.

Mayor Luke Ravenstahl and Police Chief Nate Harper have dangled the community policing carrot, but Pittsburghers have yet to get a taste.

Criminal reporting

Post-Gazette not quite right

From yesterday's Post-Gazette about neighbors attempts to shut down the Manteca bar:

"The bar has drawn the attention of the city's Nuisance Bar Task Force in the past, but crime in the area seemed to slow after a nonfatal stabbing about a year ago, police and residents said."

In a story with as many holes in it as the front door of the Manteca bar once had, yesterday's story by Wade Malcolm and Moriah Balingit boldly stated--with minimal attribution--that crime in the area has ebbed within the last year.

Au contraire, cub reporters.

If in the area you mean within blocks of the Manteca, there was this, this, this and these.

Sounds like paradise.

Hey, asshat, that’s my Bobcat

Local moron swipes construction device

Photos by Frank Kownacki

A Skid Loader Super Boom Turbo construction device, commonly known as a Bobcat, was absconded with from the site of a Mexican War Streets home construction project. The Bobcat, which can be used in the manner of a front loader or forklift, was misappropriated around 7 p.m. Tuesday.

The thief didn’t get very far very fast. Despite the fancy, powerful-sounding name, the Bobcat’s (or, rather, the Skid Loader Super Boom Turbo’s) peak speed is approximately 5 m.p.h.

Upon discovering that his Bobcat has been removed without authorization, the equipment’s owner hopped into his pickup truck, found the Bobcat as it was being driven away, and called 911. He was told nothing could be done to assist him in the recovery of the Bobcat. “But it’s a $30,000 piece of equipment,” he responded. The dispatcher was not swayed.

He called the state police, still pursuing the Bobcat thief. Not their jurisdiction, he was told. State police connected him with a police station in Squirrel Hill. The dispatcher told him that though amusing (in an O.J. Simpson/Al Cowlings/White Ford Bronco sort of way), the situation could not be remedied by officers at his station.

Finally, after minutes of not-so-hot pursuit up Perrysville Avenue, the owner and friend located police vehicles near the Woods Run library branch. The law enforcement officers, notified of the crime in progress, sprung into action, surrounding the misused construction equipment and its driver. The driver and a companion were then arrested. The Bobcat was recovered and put back to work.

Photo: The Bobcat in happier times. Man in photo not said moron.

Not dead yet

The Manteca gets a reprieve

Mayor Luke Ravenstahl’s 311 Response Center coordinator Wendy Urbanic reports that Housing Court Judge Kevin Cooper has quashed the Bureau of Building Inspection’s attempt to shut down the rattletrap den of violence (Dish’s description, not Urbanic’s) known as the Manteca Bar, 1410 Monterey St.

As yet, Dish has been unable to uncover Cooper’s rationale, but it has been told by Urbanic that the city has other plans in the works to shutter the Worst Bar on the North Side.

“Bad news. . . apparently the Housing Court judge (Kevin Cooper) dismissed the charges. .. .. we have to start back at square 1.  In the meantime, we are trying to approach this from a different angle.  I cannot mention it yet, but by next week I should be able to tell you something,” Urbanic emailed Dish.

So, look to Dish next week for more details on the city’s new tack. And, in the meantime, keep calling the cops, Liquor Control Board, the 311 line, etc. each time something untoward happens related to the Manteca.

Nuisance Bar Hotline - 412-323-7777
Tonya Payne - Telephone: 412-255-2134
Mayor’s office – 412-255-2626
PGH enforcement office of PA Liquor Control Board - 412-548-2050
Algh County Health Dept – 412-687-ACHD
Honorable Kevin E. Cooper, 566 Bruston Ave., 15208, 412-241-1165

Breaking News: You guessed it

Six to nine gunshots were fired today at 1:52 p.m. on Armandale Street between Buena Vista and Monterey in the Mexican War Streets. Police responded. No injuries were reported. More details to come. Hopefully.

Safe Streets?

Shootings and police response subjects of meeting

One of the delights of living in the United States is that the cops can't just pluck you off the street, toss you in jail and let you rot.

One of the unfortunate consequences of our Democracy is that the cops cannot do the above to the two young guys who, a short time ago, were shot in the rump and ankle, respectively, in the middle of the day on Jacksonia Street and who are known by cops and neighbors alike to be involved in the drug trade.

These days, the two young men are back on their corner, loitering and, essentially, inviting another hail of bullets that will eventually hit a bystander rather than the target, a car or a house, said a Jacksonia Street
resident at Wednesday night's Safe Streets meeting, held at Arch Court.

About 25 Mexican War Streets residents attended the meeting, with a Zone 1 police sergeant representing local law enforcement. A major complaint of residents was the poor police response to Friday's mid-day gunfire near the Manteca bar, 1410 Monterey St.

The sergeant told the assembled that the 911 dispatcher reported just one phone call and the caller gave inadequate information regarding the location of the shots being fired. When an officer responded shortly after the call came in, the sergeant said, no one was on the street for the officer to speak with and no shell casings were found.

Only later, when a War Streets resident visited the police station did another officer visit the scene and speak with witnesses. Also, the sergeant said, Zone 1 was in the middle of a shift change and eight of the station's
patrol cars were not functional. The responding officer also reviewed a videotape of the shooting captured by a neighbor's surveillance camera. The officer told the neighbor that the tape was not valuable as evidence.

Regarding both the Jacksonia Street shooting/loitering problem and the Monterey gunplay, the sergeant implored residents to be as specific as possible when calling 911. If the caller does not want to be identified by
name, address or telephone number over police radio, he said, make those wishes clear to the dispatcher. However, he said, it is important to make oneself available as a witness. Calling the station directly and asking that an officer call back is the best way to handle that situation.

Furthermore, he added, Zone 1 officers are trying to identify members of a gang calling themselves "The Hoodies," who claim the War Streets as their territory and call the neighborhood "Hoodtown." Providing photographs and video of suspected gang activity too, the sergeant said, would be a great help to that effort.

The police, the sergeant said, are understaffed and rely upon neighbors for help. The more assistance the department gets from residents, the better the chances are of reducing crime, he said.

The sergeant also asked resident to keep detailed logs of criminal activity they witness. It's much easier for police to build a case with time-stamped, contemporaneous emailed accounts of drug dealing, violence, etc., he said. In fact, he added, such diligence led to an eviction from a troubeld Mistick-run property on Buena Vista Street.

It was also reported that the Bureau of Building Inspection may be preparing to condemn the Manteca. Further, the Liquor Control Board, said the sergeant, recently conducted a sweep of the bar and it's possible that further complaints will put the tavern's liquor license in jeopardy.

Fighting fire with parking tickets

Cops bust scofflaw motorists; shooters run free

Pittsburgh police have responded to the recent spate of shootings on the North Side by handing out $92 parking tickets to motorists who deposit their automobiles on the wrong side of the street facing against traffic.

Last evening, the Street Response Unit, based in the Special Deployment Division in the West End descended on the Mexican War Streets in response to complaints stemming from gun violence. Apparently unable to find anyone responsible for the 15 incidents of gunfire in the North Side since May, the Street Response Unit decided to ticket illegally parked cars.

Cops were also out cracking down on the menace presented by parking scofflaws when it took Zone 1 officers more than two hours to respond to the mid-afternoon gunfire in front of the Manteca bar at 1410 Monterey St.

At least five cars were ticketed on Monterey Street yesterday.

Dish does not advocate illegal parking and Dish does not mind the city generating revenue from sources other than taxes. However, during a bit of a delicate period in the Mexican War Streets, perhaps local law enforcement's resources should be directed toward the imbeciles firing guns in the middle of a densely-populated residential neighborhood rather than residents who didn't feel like going around the block to park their cars in the proper direction. At the very least, police brass, you're creating quite the public
perception problem.

Also, cops, you may have noticed that more than a few of these shootings have happened around 3 p.m. That's when you change shifts, right? It seems the bad guys know this, so why don't you try to mix things up a bit.

Those interested in griping in person to the police are advised to attend this evening's Safe Streets meeting at 7 p.m., 1310 Arch St.

Other resources for getting the attention of those entrusted with preserving public safety include:

For general public safety issues:
Zone 1 Commander Catherine McNeilly:
catherine.mcneilly@city.pittsburgh.pa.us
Police Chief Nathan Harper: nathan.harper@city.pittsburgh.pa.us
City Council Member Tonya Payne - Telephone: 412-255-2134
Mayor¹s office 412-255-2626

For complaints concerning the Manteca bar at 1410 Monterey:
Nuisance Bar Hotline - 412-323-7777
PGH enforcement office of PA Liquor Control Board - 412-548-2050
Alegheny County Health Department 412-687-ACHD

Shots fired on the North Side

Police slow to respond

Photo by Frank Kownacki

Shots rang out at 3 p.m. this afternoon on Monterey Street in the Mexican War Streets. Several witnesses observed the shooting including a woman who saw the gun.

According to witnesses, a black PT Cruiser stopped at the corner of Monterey and Jacksonia streets and fired three shots at a white vehicle dropping off a passenger at the troubled Manteca bar. Hearing the shots, the passenger jumped out of the white car and ducked behind a Dumpster. The PT Cruiser backed up and fired three more shots, blasting out the rear window of the white car that sped away.

Surveillance video recorded by a neighbor shows the intended victim as a black male wearing an oversized yellow jersey, jeans and white sneakers. After the shooting ended, the man ran across the street into the Manteca.

After the incident, a witness was told to keep quiet, otherwise suffer the consequences of being a "snitch."

Several neighbors, including Dish, called 911 at 3:02 p.m. As of this posting at 5 p.m. the police have not interviewed witnesses. Neighbors found bullet holes lodged in the driver side door and sideview mirror of a car parked in front of the Dumpster.

This is the 15th gun-related crime since May on the North Side.

At around 5:30 p.m. the police viewed the video and said it doesn't show enough of the crime.

Help cops catch a killer

This handsome devil wanted by police in execution

Update: Busted. Go here for details.

From the Trib:

Pittsburgh police have identified a suspect in the shooting of a North Side man who was gunned down in front of a crowd of children and adults on Perrysville Avenue in Observatory Hill.

Scott Clark, no age available, is wanted in the July 27 slaying of Damien Blackwell, 19. City homicide investigators have not determined a motive for the shooting but said they believe Blackwell was targeted.

Clark, who is known to frequent Hazlett Street and Mt. Pleasant Road in Observatory Hill, is considered armed and dangerous, police said. Anyone with information is asked to call detectives at 412-323-7161.

For more info on Clark and his hangouts go here.

Perry Hilltop: 911 response time down

A tale of two neighborhood meetings

by Tom Wilson

On the evening of July 19th, while Mayor Luke Ravenstahl patted himself of the back at a Neighborhood Forum down on the Flats of the North Side, several other politicos gathered at the Pittsburgh Project on North Charles Street to meet with local residents about the alarming increase in gun violence in Perry Hilltop.

The meeting was called by Perry Hilltop Citizens' Council (PHCC) President Janet Gunter at the urging of fellow Council members and local residents who insisted that "something has to be done." Ms. Gunter sent out invitations to many local, State and Federal officials.

Ravenstahl scheduled the Neighborhood Forum for the same evening.

U.S. Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan; Assistant U. S. Attorney Steve Kaufman; Director of Governor Rendell's Southwest Regional Office, Allen Kukovich; Senior Executive to Senator Jim Ferlo, Lloyd Wright; County Councilwoman Brenda Frazier; Pittsburgh Public School Board member, Mark Brentley Sr.; Clyde Duffy, of City Councilwoman Darlene Harris's office; Elizabeth Style, of the City's Weed and Seed office; Rhonda Brandon and Mark Fatla, of the North Side Leadership Conference; Brian O'Malley of Representative Don Walko's office; Acting Chief Deputy Sheriff Joseph Rizzo; and Beth Ann Cushanick of Representative Jake Wheatley's office, spent two hours discussing the issue of public safety with over 50 residents.

When Mary Beth Buchanan asked about response times to 911 calls, and was informed that there was sometimes an hour delay or even no-shows by police (even though the Zone One police station is less than five minutes away from most of Perry Hilltop), former Assistant Chief Craig Edwards explained his understanding of why there are lag times and no-shows.

(Note the shock on the face of County Councilwoman Brenda Frazier.):

Several followup meetings are planned.

Photo by the Post-Gazette

Police push pilot program

Cops hope crime fighting website catches on

On March 8, Police and neighbors on Fleming Street on the North Side worked together to nab a thief, who struck a home while cops were en route to the location. A suspected was apprehended and neighbors identified him. Turned out the suspect was responsible for several unsolved copper pipe robberies in the area.

Neighbors were connected, shared information with each other and the police. All this happened at the scene, face-to-face, door-to-door. But neighbors two blocks over may not have heard about the crime or the arrest. Sometimes word-of-mouth isn't enough.

Watchful neighbors now have another tool to use to help keep their streets safe. Zone 1 police are using a St. Paul-based website called Citizen Observer, a site that sends out alerts, fugitive descriptions and crime prevention information. Registration is free.

"We are providing information that will include new ways to keep us all connected and informed and will help keep our community safer," the website reads.

Once registered, alerts can be received via email, fax, pager or cell phone. All tips are anonymous and no information is posted that could jeopardize a case.

Zone 1 is the pilot station for the crime fighting website, which was launched on Feb 23. Funding was provided through the North Side Leadership Council as well as a host of banks. If successful, the program may go citywide.

"Our goal is to get all of the North Side registered on this site," said Officer Forrest Hodges, who is the community relations/crime prevention officer for the North Side. "You never know when you can help a neighbor." Hodges attends several neighborhood safety meetings per week and is plugged into North Side Block Watch campaigns and community groups.

While Hodges doesn't know how many residents have signed up yet, he said the program is "going very well."

 

Thief makes out like a bandit

Delivery dude leaves keys in packed-to-the-gills-with-pricy-boob-tubes truck.

Trib reporter Jill King Greenwood describes the windfall today:

A Circuit City employee delivering a television to a Morningside home Wednesday made a mistake that gave a thief a golden opportunity.

When the delivery man went inside the home in the 1700 block of Chislett Street about 11 a.m., he left the keys in the truck's ignition. That's when a man jumped inside the truck and drove away with nearly $14,000 in merchandise in tow, police said.

While he was inside making the delivery, a witness came into the home and told him that a man just drove away with his truck," said Pittsburgh police Cmdr. RaShall Brackney, who is in charge of the city's East Liberty police station. "When the delivery driver ran outside, the truck was gone."

The witness left the scene before police arrived. No description of the suspect was available.

Inside the white box truck were eight televisions and a video game system, Brackney said. One television is worth $5,000; the others were valued at $1,200 apiece. The video game system is worth $400, Brackney said.

The truck has the Circuit City logo on the side, along with the word "Penske." There is a blue stripe running down the side of the trailer, and the truck number -- 301783 -- is marked on the cab and side of the truck, she said.

Phone calls and e-mails to Circuit City's corporate offices in Richmond, Va., were not returned yesterday. Anyone with information about the location of the truck or thief can call city police at 412-665-3605.

Police say it’s possible the Circuit City truck might be seen traveling with a La-Z-Boy, Funions and/or Iron City beer truck.

Friends of Dish burglarized

Dish peeved, Asshat(s) sought

The home of Friends of Dish, located near Jacksonia and Veto in the Mexican War Streets, was burglarized twice within 24 hours earlier this week. The very bad person or people who did this entered the home between late Sunday morning and 5:30 Monday afternoon and again between 7 Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning. Dish is mighty peeved.

Items swiped include a television, DVD player, Toshiba Satellite laptop (big bastard with a 17 inch monitor and a sticker of Stewie Griffin on the top), some designer men's clothing (Pal Zileri, Ermenegildo Zegna, etc.), and a mess of DVDs (many foreign/indie Criterion Collection editions that might stand out, e.g. In The Mood For Love, The Royal Tennenbaums, Withnail & I, Brazil, etc). Also misappropriated was a dinner ring with 5 pearls and diamond inlays and a vintage ring with a blue zircon stone and brittle band.

If you happen to come across any of this stuff (let's say you witness an apparent crackhead surfing the web at Beleza on a laptop matching the description above or, on your next visit to any local pawn shops, see either ring), please call local law enforcement. Same goes if you saw anything suspicious near there.

Dish does not encourage you to pummel those associated with this violation of our chums' home. That said, how you conduct your vigilante justice is entirely your business. Oh, and now that you have a computer, if you happen to be the culprit, pummel yourself and turn yourself in. Asshat.

Wanted: Local talent

Bring out your dead.

Do you fancy fake blood? The producers of Something to Be Desired, an ongoing web-based series filmed in Pittsburgh, are looking for a few good ghouls. The group is filming a Halloween-themed episode on Sun., Oct 15 and Sun. Oct 22 in Bellevue, and they require zombies. Since Pittsburgh is the capital of Zombiedom, unearthing the undead shouldn't be too much of a chore.

Here's what you need:

1. Proof of age (over 18, please).
2. Clothing you don't mind never wearing again (fake blood tends to stain)
3. The willingness to amuse yourself safely between shots
4. Common sense (we'll be filming in a warehouse, so safety is key)
5. Transportation to and from Bellevue.

For more information and directions, please email zombies@somethingtobedesired.com

(Please include what day(s) you're available. This is a first-come, first-zombified notice.)

There is no pay. Compensation includes exposure on an international webseries plus free coffee and/or fake blood.

Makeup artists will be on-hand to convert the willing into the undead. Volunteer zombies will not be required to attend both shoots, though you're certainly welcome to.

Check out the series at www.SomethingToBeDesired.com.

Sunday shooting draws quick response from Special Task Force

Beat local cops to the scene .

The corner of Jacksonia and Veto in the Mexican War Streets was the scene of a gun battle Sunday night.

Neighbors called police after they heard six to eight shots at around 9:45 p.m. Violent Crime Impact Team officers, who traveled from the Hill District, arrived on scene in 10 minutes. Local Zone 1 cops, located blocks away on Brighton Road, showed up 15 to 20 minutes later. In all, 8 cops responded.

In 2004, The U.S. Department of Justice sent 14 agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to the city to team with five city detectives and a sheriff's deputy. The Violent Crime Impact Team's goal is to "stake out known criminals to catch them breaking the law, while spreading the word that gun and drug crimes will mean tougher prison terms."

The North Side is one of their targets. The bad guys' target too.

According to a neighbor, one bullet grazed one car and police found a bullet hole in the taillight of another. Cops found six 9mm shell casings in the street.

"The theory on the street is that there were at least two guns,” said a neighbor who asked not to be identified. “One in a car and one on the street. The car went by and fired once or twice and then the guy on the street returned fire while the car drove away.”

Asked how they were treated by Zone 1 cops the neighbor said, “The original dispatcher and cops were very friendly and helpful. When we called back with additional we were greeted with attitude. The second batch of cops didn't even stop. Finally, after another phone call, they suggested that the cars hit were the intended targets as a form of retaliation for calling the cops in the past. Which is absurd.”

The neighbor said that seconds before the shooting, she was about to step out the door to walk her dog.

North Side sales down last week

Neighborhood so quiet you could hear a dime drop.

Last Thursday, neighbors near the corner of Jacksonia and Monterey in the Mexican War Streets were downright flummoxed after discovering that said corner suffered an economic downfall.

At around 11 a.m. neighbors noticed an eerie silence at the intersection, specifically in front of the house owned by the Mattress Factory on the corner Monterey and Jacksonia (pictured above). Usually at that time, young men begin to engage in the curbside exchange of goods and services (ill-gotten goods and illicit services). But that day, a hush befell the bustling bazaar.

The young tradesmen whose pants are too big were no where to be found.

At about 5:15 p.m., a neighbor called Dish HQ to report that three identical unmarked cars with tinted windows rolled up in front of homes on the 300 block of Jacksonia. The witness saw about six men (presumably the fuzz) exit the cars and began rifling through mailboxes and flowerpots. One young man was told to sit on the curb, but was not arrested. He was seen standing sentry at the corner 15 minutes later.

The next evening at around 11 p.m. the same neighbor excitedly called Dish HQ to report a raid on the bullet-riddled seedy bar at 1410 Monterey (pictured right), two houses down from the troubled corner. She witnessed several uniformed police enter the bar but far less than the usual number of patrons exited. Only one man was taken away in handcuffs, she said.

"The bar was quiet all day," said the neighbor. "Just like the corner yesterday. There's gotta be a leak somewhere."

Inside the minds of local criminals

(insert KDKA music here) A disturbing report on forensic psychology.

If your going to steal beef then try to sell it back to the same store you stole it from, leave the pills at home

Shaler police arrested a man after responding to a theft report at the Giant Eagle store on Route 8. Police said the man attempted to get a refund for packages of steaks that had been stolen from the store. Police said they found prescription drugs in his possession for which he did not have a prescription, as well as rolling papers.

A contractor who showed up enough to steal over five hundred bucks in change? Bravo.

Indiana Township police charged a Carnegie man for allegedly stealing $521 worth of change from a home on Middle Road where he was working as a contractor.

One, twice, three times the candy

A 30 year-old Trafford ma received $2,000 each of the first two times he filed a claim with Allstate Insurance Co. for a stolen insulin pump. When he filed a third claim, he received three felony counts of insurance fraud, two felony counts of theft by deception and one felony count of attempted theft by deception. The charges were filed by a special insurance fraud agent of the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office.

Hey, he needed something for casual Fridays

A 52 year-old Oakland man allegedly had stolen 13 AFC Championship T-shirts from J.C. Penney at Ross Park Mall last month. Upon searching his car, police found numerous shirts, gloves, pants, suits and socks with price tags from J.C. Penney, Macy's, Kaufman's and Dick's Sporting Goods in the passenger compartment and trunk.

Label snob

A Sharpsburg man in his twenties was arrested on a charge of possession of a controlled substance. Sharpsburg police pulled him over on Short Canal Street. Police said he had five stamp bags of suspected heroin marked "Pure Hell."

City cops: A sidecar named desire

City cops balance struggling budget on three wheels.

by Mark Weimer

Despite a struggling economy, Pittsburgh, much like the Bush Administration, seems to always find a way to flush its scarce funds.

According to the Trib, city police who traditionally ride a motorcycle are to receive an upgrade to a tricycle. Estimated cost of the conversion is roughly $4,000 per unit.

There is a multitude of ways in which Pittsburgh has sought to battle its economic insecurity. The city boasts nine “green” buildings, elevating it to the upper echelon of cities with environmentally friendly buildings. Pittsburgh is ranked number 19 by SustainLane, which attempts to encompass quality of life in US cities. It has made strides to alter its traditional industrial image, seeking to attract new companies in more technological fields. Yet in stride with this progress are the small decisions which make one step back, sit down, and express confusion with slightly furrowed brows.

Motorcycles and tricycles are common recreation vehicles in warmer months, when risk of hypothermia is minimal.

Economically, a motorcycle saves on gasoline and a tricycle would follow suit. The primary reason for the conversion cited was that a tricycle has better traction in winter months, which is a somewhat mute point relative to the temperature. There should not be cycles in the winter, whether three wheeled or two, simply because of the icy death that one risks. 65 degrees presents a cold cruise on a bike, let alone the frosty blasts of winter. We also must not forget the tendency of people to lose control of their vehicles… or at least claim too during these months of possible no-traction-regardless-of-how-many-wheels-or-tire-size.

Perhaps it is best for the well-being of Pittsburgh’s dwindling police force that police remain in road yachts during the winter. If one is going to defend the conversion to trikes, please don’t cite winter traction as the primary reason. Such a premise is a red flag for a silly notion.