Council backs extension of downtown ambassador program and city plan to hire 12 public safety ambassadors

The Public Safety and Wellness Committee on Wednesday recommended approval of Bill 14‑33, a resolution to increase the city’s contribution to a downtown ambassador program run with the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership (PDP) by $1,200,000, for a four‑year amended total not to exceed $2,400,000.

Committee members and city public safety leaders described the PDP ambassadors as unarmed, civilian workers who assist with non‑criminal matters, provide an extra set of eyes and help connect residents and businesses to city services. “I actually walked around with the ambassadors last year and they're really good — really good program,” said Councilman Coghill.

Public Safety Director Lee Schmidt and Lisa Frank, chief administrative officer, told the committee that the PDP program is funded by a mix of foundation grants, downtown business sponsorship and BID assessments; the city currently contributes part of the program cost. Schmidt said the city is hiring 12 public safety ambassadors that will be paid from the general fund, placed in zones across the city and trained in coordination with PDP. “We're in the process. We have four folks hired now. We're in the process of hiring 12 public safety ambassadors,” Schmidt said.

The committee discussed sustainability, scope and equity of service distribution. Councilperson Charlene and others pressed whether the city should expect PDP to assume long‑term funding, and raised questions about expanding services beyond downtown to commercial corridors including Grandview Avenue, Murray Avenue and Brownsville Road. Charlene said the PDP’s programs vary in effectiveness by service type and stressed that ambassadors must not be used as a substitute for core police patrols.

Council members and staff described related planning steps: the city’s new ambassadors will be civilian positions in the police budget, report to city public safety operations, and use a common app and training initially provided by PDP. City staff said ambassadors are unarmed and intended to refer quality‑of‑life issues to the appropriate service teams; staff also described the ambassador role as a potential recruitment pipeline into public safety careers.

After discussion, the committee recorded an affirmative recommendation on Bill 14‑33 by voice vote; no roll‑call tally was given in the transcript.