PITTSBURGH MAYOR ED GAINEY DIDN’T HOLD BACK ON HIS THOUGHTS ABOUT ALLEGHENY COUNTY DA STEPHEN ZAPPALA.
Gainey says DA Zappala ‘not doing any real work in helping make Pittsburgh safe’
Politics can be messy sometimes.
Finger-pointing, playing the blame game, saying one thing and doing another…
Politics, where allies can become adversaries, where Democratic candidates can become Republican candidates overnight, where everything in the dark comes to the light.
After Pittsburgh’s latest political clash, don’t expect to see Mayor Ed Gainey and Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala Jr. doing the Kid ‘n Play “House Party” dance together anytime soon.
Much has been made about crime in and around Pittsburgh, particularly since Mayor Gainey took office as the city’s first Black mayor. While homicides in Pittsburgh jumped from 56 in Mayor Bill Peduto’s final year as mayor, 2021, to 71 in Mayor Gainey’s first year as mayor, 2022, no local political figures dared to attribute the vast increase to Mayor Gainey. However, Mayor Gainey knew that if the high murder count continued, he would get the blame.
The mayor has unveiled a number of strategies, including a Pittsburgh Plan for Peace (June 2022), the hiring of a new police chief (Larry Scirotto, spring 2023), block parties in city neighborhoods (summer 2023), and more officers patrolling Downtown.
Still, at least two people have been gunned down in Downtown this year—23-year-old Eugene Nance (Jan. 19), and 23-year-old Lonnie Latham III (Aug. 31).
This November, voters in Allegheny County will determine who the next District Attorney will be; the incumbent, Zappala, or Matt Dugan, the actual Democratic nominee?
Dugan, the former Allegheny County Chief Public Defender, actually defeated Zappala in the May 2023 Primary Election for the Democratic nomination. Zappala, who’s been a Democrat his entire political life, then wound up on the Republican ticket for the upcoming election after receiving enough write-in votes.
Those two are going at it, with more jabs than Ali and Frazier.
But when Zappala said last week, during a verbal jab session primarily towards Dugan that city leaders are “not allowing police to do their jobs, which is causing the spike in crime Downtown,” that was one poke too many on Pittsburgh’s lovable bear, Mayor Gainey.
The New Pittsburgh Courier obtained a lengthy statement from Mayor Gainey directed to Zappala, Friday afternoon, Sept. 22.
“Over the past 18 months, the number one priority of my administration has been making Pittsburgh the safest city in America, and we are beginning to see early signs of our success,” is how Mayor Gainey’s statement began. “Right now, homicides are down 20 percent, year over year, and non-fatal shootings are down 14 percent. Our goal is that we should have no losses of life in our city from gun violence, and we won’t stop working until that job is done.
“Contrary to reports, Downtown is rebounding after the pandemic. In July, tourism numbers surpassed pre-pandemic levels. So far this year 26 new businesses have opened and we anticipate another 12 opening soon. Cultural District attendance is over 80 percent of pre-pandemic levels. Our residential occupancy rate is over 90 percent. Not to mention the hundreds of thousands of people who enjoyed our summer festivals Downtown, all without any major public safety incidents.”
The statement continued: “Once again, the District Attorney is focusing on getting re-elected, and not doing any real work in helping make Pittsburgh safe. Our officers have worked hard to bring him all the information he needs to make a determination in several high-profile cases, like the Air BnB shooting, and he has yet to do his job and charge those responsible. Our city also deserves to have an answer as to the outcome of the Jim Rogers investigation. We sincerely hope that the DA will put more effort in answering those hard questions, bringing those who make our city less safe to justice, instead of making unfounded and misinformed attacks about the Mayor, his administration, and our hardworking and dedicated Pittsburgh Bureau of Police.”
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