Pittsburgh officials install fencing around problem area along Fort Duquesne Boulevard

Pittsburgh Public Safety officials on Wednesday installed a fence around a section along Fort Duquesne Boulevard where police have recently seen problematic activities.

There were five recent arrests at the site, three of which were drug-related, Public Safety Director Lee Schmidt said.

“It was a hangout spot during the day and late hours of the night,” Schmidt said.

Schmidt said officials are working to ensure that people who were in the area are receiving any services they may need. He said that people were not generally living there, though there are homeless people living nearby.

There are no plans to force any homeless people living nearby to leave, Schmidt said, and they don’t plan to fence off the spots where they live.

While the fencing is up, Department of Public Works crews will clean the area and make repairs, Schmidt said, though he did not specify what kind of repairs are being done.

There is no timeline of how long the fence will remain, said Cara Cruz, a public safety spokeswoman.

A spokesperson for Mayor Ed Gainey did not immediately respond to requests for comment.