On behalf of the men and women who are members of the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, welcome to the website of one of the safest cities in America.

The City of Pittsburgh was incorporated in 1816 when the population was 9,000. In 1857 an ordinance was adopted that established the police department for Pittsburgh to consist of one chief and not more than nine constables. Today, the Bureau of Police is comprised of approximately 900 sworn law enforcement officers who proudly serve the residents and visitors of Pittsburgh.

Our city has been recognized with numerous distinctions in the past but the one we are most proud of is that Pittsburgh has a strong tradition of being one of the safest cities in the United States. Our crime rates have been consistently low during the past decade and we continually strive to make the streets of our diverse neighborhoods even safer.

We place tremendous value on the relationships our officers have built in the communities they serve. Members of the Bureau of Police are intricately involved in improving public safety as our officers participate in numerous community and public safety meetings, neighborhood councils, and activities involving children and adults alike. We believe these partnerships and the professionalism of our officers and civilian staff members contribute greatly to the safe environment enjoyed by those who live in, work in and visit our great city.

We hope you'll visit our site often.

Nathan Earnest Harper
Chief of Police

Nathan Harper, a 29-year veteran of the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police was sworn in as Chief of Police on October 31, 2006. In this capacity, he is responsible for the overall operations of the Bureau of Police including formulation and control of the annual Bureau budget, development and dissemination of police directives to the Bureau, coordination of training regimens, and the fostering of communication among the various facets of the Police Bureau.

Prior to being named Chief, he served as the Assistant Chief of Investigations, a position he was appointed to in April 2006. In this capacity he supervised and directed the squads responsible for all major crimes and narcotics and vice activities for the Bureau. From 1998 until his assignment as Assistant Chief of Investigations, he served as Assistant Chief of Operations responsible for the adequate staffing of six police zones and 750 officers at all times, including police coverage for sporting events, concerts, special events and traffic assignments. He was also responsible for the specifications for the new police cars and wagons as well as the voyager kits used on the motorcycles, which saved the City of Pittsburgh in overall vehicle costs.

Prior to this assignment Chief Harper was the Assistant Chief of Administration where he created and implemented a cost-effective budget to test and evaluate all equipment and uniforms as well as eliminate a backlog of more than 2,500 expungement files. He also supervised the Bureau's Training Academy incorporating training in cultural diversity. In addition, he was responsible for the supervision of the School Crossing Guards and worked hand-in-hand with the Intelligence Unit to create a Central Depository Unit for the Bureau's Drugs and Narcotics Unit.

From 1995 to 1996 Chief Harper was the Commander of Narcotics where he was in charge of 97 Detectives responsible for investigations, wiretaps and vice investigations. He worked closely with the FBI, Attorney General's Office, DEA, State and County Police on joint investigations involving gangs, prostitution, and money laundering crimes.

During his career Chief Harper also served as a Sergeant in Narcotics, a Sergeant in the Traffic Division, and a Sergeant at Zone 1. In addition, he has served as a patrol officer at Zone 6, K-9 officer, motorcycle officer, and a plainclothes investigator. He has received awards and commendations for his service and has been recognized with a Meritorious Service Award as well as the Spirit of Life Award.

(10/31/06)

In 1873, the Police Badge was designed and officially adopted by the City of Pittsburgh. The badge is a unique design: The crest is from the Coat-of-Arms of William Pitt, the first Earl of Chatham, and the man for whom Pittsburgh is named. The garter around the badge is linked to King George III, the last English ruler of the American colonies. The shield is a circular fighting shield used by 15^th century Greek foot soldiers. During the 16^th and 17^th centuries, the circular shield was used extensively in the British Isles, hence its appearance in Pittsburgh. The Pittsburgh Police Badge with its distinctive design and history is worn with great pride by the men and women of the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police.

The Pittsburgh Bureau of Police can not honor requests sent by non-law enforcement individuals or agencies for patches or other bureau items due to security-related issues. We will, however, provide information associated with various Bureau of Police programs upon request.

Enjoy the following gallery of recent and vintage police photos. Click on each thumbnail to view a larger image. Then click on each larger image to view other photos in the gallery.

If you know more info about any of the photos, please let us know.

Many of the above images were provided by the Pittsburgh Police Historical Association.

If you would like to assist us in preserving the history of the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, please contact Officer Ken Stevwing or Commander Scott Schubert.