Pittsburgh hiring private security for July 4 celebrations at Point State Park

Pittsburgh will use a private security company for bag checks at its annual Fourth of July celebrations at Point State Park, according to a spokesperson for the mayor.

The city is responsible for security at the state park during the Fourth of July event, said Olga George, a spokesperson for Mayor Ed Gainey. She said the city will use a private contractor to handle private security.

Maria Montaño, a spokesperson for Gainey, said Pittsburgh police will also be at Point State Park but will not be conducting bag checks.

The city will use St. Moritz Security Services — the same company that provides security at the City-County Building — to conduct the bag checks, Montaño said.

Wesley Robinson, a spokesperson for the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, also confirmed the city has hired the necessary security “and the fireworks will go off as planned.”

This comes after significant debate around who was responsible for providing security during Juneteenth events at the state park hosted by a private organizer.

It briefly appeared the Juneteenth fireworks would be canceled by event organizer William B. Marshall, who had not hired the necessary security. The event did go on as planned — including a fireworks display — but it remained unclear who hired the security required at the park.

DCNR requires that private security conduct bag checks at Point State Park for any medium or large events. Such events — including festivals, celebrations, races and events with live concerts or fireworks displays — must “secure the services of a DCNR-approved on-site and overnight security provider,” according to special event guidelines posted on the department’s website.

During discussions surrounding Juneteenth security, Montaño, had explained that Pittsburgh police were not able to conduct the required bag checks at the park.

“It is our understanding as a city that it would be a constitutional violation for our officers to search people’s bags because we don’t have reasonable suspicion,” she said. “Our sworn officers cannot do those bag checks.”

George on Friday confirmed police would not be conducting bag checks at the park for Fourth of July celebrations.

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