Community Outreach

The District Attorney sponsors a number of programs designed to assist citizens residing in and around Allegheny County, as well as assist community-based crime prevention initiatives and law enforcement agencies.

The 9-1-1 Mobile Training Unit
The District Attorney’s 9-1-1 Mobile Training Unit is a van equipped to travel to schools, community events or other venues to provide a hands-on interactive training program for all age groups concerning when to dial 9-1-1, and how to report criminal activity or emergency situations.

When used at schools, telephone lines are linked directly from the van into classrooms for hands-on calls to a dispatcher located in the van. Emergency scenarios are presented and participants then dial the telephone and talk to the dispatcher. For children, kindergarten through third grade, the curriculum includes information as basic as when to dial 9-1-1, how to dial the telephone, and what to say to the dispatcher. Older children and adults are taught to report emergency situations accurately after they have observed various different scenarios.

Between 2000 and 2009, more than 200,000 youths in Western Pennsylvania have received training from the 9-1-1 Mobile Training Program.

The S.T.A.R. Program
Designed by the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office, in cooperation with Safety Kids, Inc. and the Alliance Against Drugs, this program was designed to teach parents and children to Sense, Talk about, Act, and therefore be Responsible in everyday situations. The central objective of the S.T.A.R. program is to promote responsible reporting skills by teaching children what to do in situations involving drugs, weapons, bullying, luring, cyber bullies and predators, internet misuse, homeland security, home alone issues and other matters affecting the safety of our children. The S.T.A.R. program has been expanded to include training for school faculty and administrators, community members, parents and family members as well as law enforcement personnel. The program, presented to a community as a whole, is also entitled S.T.A.R. but the acronym’s dual meaning is Stand Together! Act Responsibly!

The Car Seat Safety Checkpoint Program
The District Attorney’s Office sponsors six car seat safety checkpoints in Allegheny County. Established in 2004, the checkpoints are currently conducted by the police departments in Moon Township, North Versailles Township, Ohio Township, West Deer Township, Baldwin Borough and the City of Pittsburgh.

Each checkpoint has a certified Safety Equipment Assistance Team (S.E.A.T.) to inspect vehicles, by appointment. Since 2004, over 2,500 vehicles have been inspected at these checkpoints and where necessary, have been provided appropriate infant/car seats or booster seats at no cost to the families.

Cribs For Kids Initiative
Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr. was a founding member and remains an advisor to and supporter of the “Cribs For Kids” program which is run by the Pennsylvania Chapter of Sudden Infant Death Services (SIDS).

“Cribs For Kids”, founded in 1998, was a natural outgrowth of the American Academy of Pediatrics “Back to Sleep” campaign which began in 1994. The program provides cribs to low income families in an effort to create a safe environment for sleeping babies and lower the risk of sudden infant death. Since its inception, “Cribs For Kids” has distributed more than 5,000 cribs in Allegheny County alone and the program has spread to more than 79 cities in 29 states.

District Attorney Youth Sponsorship (D.A.Y.S.) Program
The D.A.Y.S. program is an enrichment program available to all students of elementary, middle and high schools in Allegheny County that introduces students to the criminal justice system on a group level.

Additionally, students that show an extraordinary interest in the role of the District Attorney in the criminal justice system, may be assigned to “shadow” an Assistant District Attorney for an extended period of time.

Drug and Alcohol Awareness Program
This 45-minute presentation is designed to help educate parents, teachers and students about the prevalence of drugs and alcohol in our communities; the consequences of getting involved with these substances; and, the importance of community, school and family dialogues concerning substance abuse. To date, the program has been presented in excess of 300 times.

The Alliance Against Drugs
The Alliance is a non-profit organization comprised of school and community leaders, parents and students, and has become a strong and active coalition with the commitment and support from numerous state, county and regional leaders. The Alliance is comprised of school districts and private school institutions across the Western Pennsylvania region.

To date, nearly 100 public and private schools, including elementary, middle and high schools; numerous mental health and drug/alcohol organizations; faith-based institutions; and, dozens of community business sponsors, law enforcement and other government agencies are members of the Alliance.

Safety Kids, Inc.
Safety Kids, Inc. is a non-profit organization that sponsors the “Charlie-Check First” program and co-sponsors the Students Together Are Responsible (S.T.A.R.) program created by the office of the District Attorney. The “Charlie-Check First” program is designed to instruct children to make good, safe choices in potentially harmful situations, such as those involving strangers. However, the curriculum extends beyond the traditional “stranger danger” concept, to situations involving molestations and abductions by people familiar to the child, where often these situations arise.

Witness Relocation and Protection
Since 1994 more than 600 witnesses (including their families) have been accepted into the Witness Protection Program administered by the City of Pittsburgh Bureau of Police. Expenses for relocation, protection and public education that exceed the amount budgeted to the City of Pittsburgh Bureau of Police are funded by the Asset Forfeiture Fund of the District Attorney’s Office.

Reality Tour Drug Prevention Program
The District Attorney’s Office provides a major component to this program for elementary through high school students sponsored by the Greenfield Organized Against Drugs community organization. The Tour is conducted several times during the academic school year and is available to every school in Western Pennsylvania.

The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation
The Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office contributes matching funds to the Ben Roethlisberger Foundation/The Giving Back Fund to purchase K-9s for local law enforcement agencies. Prior to the creation of The Giving Back Fund, District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr. had authorized an excess of $400,000 to local police departments for the purchase of K-9s and related training and equipment.