Rapid Emergency Deployment (RED) was developed after the events of September 11, 2001. The goal of the team is to provide and appropriate response to critical incidents including:

• Weapons of Mass Destruction
• Terrorist Events
• Major HAZAMAT incidents
• Acts of Civil Disobedience

Local jurisdictions are required to be NIMS (National Incident Management System) compliant. One of the provisions of NIMS is the development of a Multi-agency Coordination System. The purpose of this multi-agency coordination is to develop and maintain connectivity capability between local Incident Command Posts (ICPs), and local, state/territorial Emergency Operation Centers (EOCs).

The Pittsburgh Police Bureau's Bicycle Unit is a key part of our overall community policing strategy.

Bicycle Officer's greatest assets include:

• Mobility within densley populated urban districts
• High Visibility
• Accessibility to the public

Being a bicycle officer is a strenuous job that requires both physical fitness and keen mental awareness. Officers go through a rigorous training program. This program includes advanced quarterly training.

SWAT stands for Special Weapons and Tactics.

The Pittsburgh SWAT team is composed of personnel from throughout the Bureau of Police.

The SWAT team responds to on average 100 missions per year. Missions include:

• Barricaded Individuals
• Hostage Rescue
• Dignitary Protection
• Surveillance
• High Risk Warrant Service

The SWAT team also provides tactical support to local, state and federal agencies.

The SWAT team fosters positive interaction with children by attending numerous community events each year.

River Rescue is a partnership between Pittsburgh Police and the Emergency Medical Services SCUBA search and rescue team.

River Rescue responsibilities include:

• Piloting all River Rescue vessels
• Enforcing Commonwealth laws
• Patrolling area rivers and ports
• Preventing, Responding to and mitigating all waterborne emergencies

The SWAT team also provides tactical support to local, state and federal agencies.

The SWAT team fosters positive interaction with children by attending numerous community events each year.

The Motorcycle Unit has officers assigned to it everyday of the year, regardless of weather conditions.

Motorcycle Unit responibilities include:

• Traffic Safety Enforcement and Education
• Police Escorts
• Traffic Control
• Assisting with special events and community activity

Motorcycle officers receive extensive training in dignitary escorts and the safe operation of motorcycles.

The Collision Investigation Unit investigates all crashes that involve critical injuries and fatalities.

The Unit is composed of more than 15 officers with extensive training in crash reconstruction. Additionally, the Unit has access to state of the art technology to digitally reconstruct accidents.

Other responsibilities include:

• Investigating all emergency vehicle crashes
• Assist outside agencies
• Promote highway safety through education

The mission of the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Unit is to ensure that all drivers and commercial vehicles being operated on the road are in compliance with federal, state and local laws.

Responsibilities include:

• Roving patrols
• Stationary Checkpoints
• Assisting outside agencies upon request

SDD consists of city-wide support units that provide specially trained and equipped officers.

These units include:

• Traffic Division
• Collision Investigation Unit
• Commercial Motor Vehicle Enforcement Unit
• SWAT
• River Rescue
• Impaired Driving Unit
• Car Seat Inspection and Education Station
• Graffiti Task Force
• Street Response Unit

The Bomb Squad is composed of technicians trained extensively by the F.B.I. in:

• Electronics
• Redner safe procedures
• Weapons of Mass Destruction

The unit has two bomb robots and other state of art technology, as well as "bomb dogs" to ensure the safety of our region. The team even has certified SCUBA divers who can locate and render safe underwater hazardous devices.

The City of Pittsburgh utilizes canine officers for a variety of tasks, including:

• Finding illegal drugs, guns and explosives
• Locate people – suspects and endangered persons

Officers (Handlers) and qualified dogs go through an intensive 3-month training program at our K-9 Academy.

The Mobile Crime Unit is responsible for processing all major crime scenes including:

• Homicides
• Robberies
• Burglaries
• Sex Assaults

Members of the Unit are subject matter experts in photography, fingerprint dusting and collection of trace evidence.