Mayor Luke Ravenstahl announced today with members of the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police (PBP) the city-wide expansion of the CitizenObserver Alert Network, a web- based alert notification system. The CitizenObserver will allow the PBP to quickly enter content about crimes or incidents, and within seconds, push that information out to businesses, citizens and watch groups.
 
The CitizenObserver was piloted in zone one and proved successful in increasing community involvement in crime prevention efforts as well as in alerting citizens of crime patterns in their area. Starting today, all police zones are trained to use the web-based tool and are ready to work with the community in the information exchange. The Mayor encourages all residents to take part in the CitizenObserver Alert Network by logging on to www.citizenobserver.com and clicking on the "Sign Up for Alerts" link.

"In order to be most effective in fighting crime, our police and communities must work together," said Mayor Ravenstahl. "The CitizenObserver provides that vital link between officers and the community by providing instantaneous, proactive communication that alerts citizens of safety concerns and allows them to submit anonymous tips on the back-end."

CitizenObserver, a St. Paul, MN company, was founded in 2000 and is currently working with hundreds of law enforcement, campus law enforcement, and public safety agencies all across the US to help close cases and make communities safer.