Driver's license scanners could help reduce problems on Pittsburgh's South Side, DA says

Bars on Pittsburgh’s South Side could start checking patrons’ driver’s licenses — not just to make sure they’re old enough to drink, but also to see if they’ve caused problems at other bars in the neighborhood.

In a meeting with South Side bar owners Tuesday, District Attorney Stephen Zappala said bars there could use technology to bolster communication and curb violence and other problems that have plagued the area.

“One of the ideas proposed by District Attorney Zappala was the use of driver’s license readers that would allow bars to share information about problem customers,” spokesman Mike Manko said.

Such a tool could give bar owners the ability to identify individuals who had caused problems at other bars or were kicked out of other establishments.

Manko said “nothing was decided” yet on whether such technology would be put into effect. He indicated the district attorney’s office may provide further information on the proposal “when the bar owners are ready to move forward with such an idea.”

He did not provide details regarding how much such a system may cost or who would pay for it.

Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald also attended the meeting.

“There was a good, productive meeting, bringing people together to find solutions to recent challenges in the neighborhood to improve the environment in the South Side,” spokeswoman Amie Downs said.

She declined to comment further on the meeting or on the proposal to install driver’s license readers.

Frank Catroppa, owner of Cosmo on Carson, said his bar already has a system that reads driver’s licenses — a system he thinks would be beneficial to expand across the neighborhood.

“It works well for us,” Catroppa said.

The system Cosmo on Carson uses tracks who enters the bar and when they arrived. It also checks for fake IDs and snaps a photo of people as they enter, which can help identify people based on their clothing and other features if there’s a problem, Catroppa said.

One or two other South Side bars — which Catroppa said he could not identify — also have a similar system in place, he said. They can share information about problematic customers so that other bar owners can be on the lookout for patrons who have caused issues elsewhere.

“If there’s an incident with another place throughout the night and they file a report, you can see that,” he said.

Catroppa said he feels the system works as a deterrent, as people realize their identities are tracked and their photos are taken.

“You’d be less likely to create a crime if you’re a lot easier to be identified,” he said.

He said the fact that local leaders and business owners are coming together in an effort to find solutions to the South Side’s problems encourages him that things in the busy entertainment district will get better.

Catroppa said Cosmo on Carson will soon be getting an overhaul to transform it into a family-friendly sports bar with sit-down dining and earlier hours.

“We’re looking to do something to lighten up the atmosphere,” he said.

Catroppa said they are filing for new permits and will need to renovate the space to convert to a new sports bar business model. Cosmo on Carson will temporarily shut down, with its last day as a night club slated for Sept. 4. The goal is to reopen in December, though the date will depend on when permits are obtained and renovations complete, Catroppa said.

The change in business model, Catroppa said, was spurred by recent overnight violence. It’s been a challenge to draw people to the business at the late-night hours when Cosmo on Carson is open, he said.

Catroppa said he wanted to ensure his business would be beneficial for the South Side community in the long term, and not contributing to the recent uptick in violence and crime.

“We didn’t want to feed into that,” Catroppa said. “If you’re not part of the change, you’re part of the problem. We want to do the right thing.”

This comes as local leaders have expressed concerns about heightened violence along certain blocks of East Carson Street that are highly populated with bars and nightlife. Officials have taken extra precautions to ensure safety in the entertainment district, particularly on weekends. The mayor and other leaders have met with community members and business owners to try to address the issues.

One person was critically injured in a shooting in South Side last weekend.