The FBI Pittsburgh field office announced details of its new violent crimes task force. It comes at a time when we’re seeing increasing violent behavior in many of our neighborhoods that has people living in these communities on edge and feeling unsafe.

As Attorney General Sessions announced Friday, this task force was formed in the areas most in need across the country. In many of the counties surrounding Pittsburgh, there’s more violent crime per capita than in Philadelphia. A review of the uniform crime report statistics for 2016 showed a significant increase in violent crime in our region.

Bank robberies in Allegheny County alone are a significant problem. The FBI, in coordination with our local and state partners, responded to 51 bank robberies last year alone and almost half involved a weapon. This year, we’ve responded to 22, 45 percent were armed robberies and 14 percent were serial robbers. Although Pittsburgh boasts a much higher than average rate of solving these crimes, we believe we can and must do more to address other violent crimes in our neighborhoods.

This task force is a proactive measure to address the increasing trends our area is currently seeing when it comes to bank robberies, kidnapping, murder for hire, and homicides. It will allow for overtime funding and equipment to participating agencies.

“This task force allows agencies to make an impact in the community and build relationships,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Chad Yarbrough. “These violent crimes often times involve deadly weapons, drugs, and drug trafficking and we need to send a message to our community that this type of behavior will not be tolerated.”

For additional information, please call (412) 396-9504 or e-mail cpolicicchio@fbi.gov