15 Apr Public Safety, Youth Among Pittsburg’s Priorities

With one member absent, the Pittsburg City Council voted 4-0 to approve the city’s goals and priorities for the fiscal year. (Screenshot captured by Samantha Kennedy / The CC Pulse)

By Samantha Kennedy

The city of Pittsburg has a lofty set of goals it hopes to achieve by the end of the decade — a reduction in violent crime among them — but it also has a plan.

Over the next year, the Pittsburg City Council says it will continue to prioritize economic development, public infrastructure and safety and youth development when making decisions as part of its annual strategic plan.

The goals, which were approved April 7 in a 4-0 vote with council member Angelica Lopez absent, are largely a continuation of the previous year’s goals that were on track to be accomplished.

According to the city’s 2024 performance dashboard, 57% of the objectives related to economic development are on track to be finished in time. That includes objectives listed in this year’s strategic plan — a framework for redeveloping Century Plaza, updating the zoning code to streamline processes for businesses, and a self-sufficiency pilot program for low-income renters.

Since 2024-25, council members have also included youth development among their priorities. The city says it has had a “long-standing emphasis on youth development” over the years, leading to the Dream Courts and the Pittsburg Premier Fields.

Though previous strategic plans did include objectives related to youth development, they were grouped under the “quality of life” goal that focused on “all Pittsburg residents.”

Pittsburg says the city will “maximize community centers and youth centers” this year. The city will look to coordinate internship and job opportunities with local businesses, Los Medanos College and Pittsburg High School.

While Pittsburg has listened to residents who feel youth development is essential to the city, it has also made public safety a priority.

The city plans to track crime in its jurisdiction and neighboring cities to see how it impacts them, educate families on human trafficking and improve disaster preparedness.

Officials will also look to partner with the Pittsburg Unified School District to offer human trafficking education in schools. Some education and other opportunities are also planned to be offered in Spanish.

Since 2023, violent crime has trended down in the city, according to data from the Pittsburg Police Department. The city saw an increase in 2022 after dropping the previous year.

Property crime, which includes shoplifting and vandalism, also saw a decrease in that time.

Last year, council members unofficially supported Prop. 36, which increases sentences for some drug and theft crimes. The measure, which pushes back against a 2014 law aimed at reducing prison overcrowding, came in response to some law enforcement and businesses who saw the law as the reason for the increase in homelessness and property crimes across the state since COVID.

The 2024 measure passed with 68% of the vote. It also received support from then-Mayors Lamar Hernandez-Thorpe of Antioch and London Breed of San Francisco, both of who lost reelection and faced criticism for retail thefts in their cities.

Some residents have still been critical of other ways they feel the city is coming up short in terms of public safety.

The Contra Costa County Deputy Sheriff’s Association criticized Shanelle Scales-Preston, previously a council member and mayor in Pittsburg, for a high crime rate during her campaign for a seat on the Board of Supervisors. Council member Juan Banales and Mayor Jelani Killings, up for reelection in their own races at the time, refuted claims about crime.

As part of reaching its public safety goals, staff will also review its response times.

The next Pittsburg City Council meeting is on April 21.