Allegheny County to focus on violence prevention, safety issues highlighted in community survey

Violence prevention and safety in neighborhoods is a constant topic of conversation at the Allegheny County level. It’s one that County Executive Sara Innamorato is most excited to tackle in her first term.

“While municipalities fund their police departments, really the county has an opportunity to leverage our human services dollars to make sure we do violence intervention and prevention,” Innamorato said.

One big ask from the results of the All In Allegheny Community survey is handling the blight and vacant properties that can attract even more crime. But safety isn’t just physical, it does include the mental side of things. Innamorato said the county will launch a new program where trained mental health and medical professionals will respond to mental health crisis calls starting in McKees Rocks, Penn Hills and Monroeville.

>>> Results of Allegheny County survey released

“To have alternative response so when someone is having a mental health crisis there can be an expert on-site to help deescalate the situation to get that person the tools and resources they need to have to be safe healthy and whole,” Innamorato said.

Innamorato said she is trying to bridge the gap to bring everyone together to address the county’s needs as an ecosystem rather than separate entities. But with 91 action items, it’s not something that will happen overnight. That’s why this administration has categorized what is feasible.

“What are things we can do immediately with the tools and resources and capacity we have as county government? What is going to take a little longer like six months then what is going to take a year plus and going to be a first-term initiative because we will have to fundraise for it, hire for it and engage,” Innamorato said.

Another topic Channel 11 told you about was affordable housing. Innamorato said that is a concern and one the county plans to tackle by creating the first countywide housing plan.

>>> Affordable housing was main issue found in Allegheny County improvement survey

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