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WEBVTT WHY.REPORTER: THERE IS A NEW RULEAND REGULATION DOWNTOWN HERE ATMARKET SQUARE, AND APPARENTLYIT'S THAT YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TOSIT DOWN, ALL OF THE TABLES ANDCHAIRS HAVE BEEN REMOVED.>> ALL I WOULD SEE IS JUSTJUNKIES EVERYWHERE AND ITBROUGHT ME TOWN BECAUSE OF THEFACT THAT PITTSBURGH IS A LOVELYPLACE.REPORTER: A LOVELY PLACE SULLIEDBY LOITERING IN MARKET SQUARELEADING TO DRUG USE AND CRIME.THE SOLUTION, THE PITTSBURGHDOWNTOWN PARTNERSHIP TAKING AWAYTHE TABLES AND CHAIRS FROM THECITY-OWNED PUBLIC PLAZA.>> WILL IT IMPROVE THINGS DOWNTHERE?MERCHANTS TELL ME IT WILL.REPORTER: THE D.A. SAYS DRUGACTIVITY THERE IS CONSTANT, HISNARCOTICS TEAM MADE 150 DRUGARRESTS THERE JUST LAST YEAR, UPFROM 91 THE YEAR BEFORE.HE THINKS THE CHAIRS ARE PART OFTHE PROBLEM.>> IT'S NOT AN IDEAL SOLUTION,NO THERE IS A RAY ALTERNATE THATIT IS BEING ABUSED AND GUYS AREJUST HANGING OUT AND THEY ARENOT GOOD CITIZENS OF THE CITY.REPORTER: KEVIN ELKINS SAYS IT'SNOT THE RIGHT ANSWER.>> YOU DON'T THINK TAKING AWAYTHE CHAIRS AND THE TABLES WILLCUT DOWN ON DRUGS?NO.REPORTER: BUSINESSES LIKE THISPIZZA SHOP HAVE GROWN WEARY OFTHE DRUGS.>> I'M NOT WORRIED ABOUT THEPATRONS AND VISITORS NOT HAVINGA POLICE TO SIT.I WILL ADMIT I MAY NOT TOEXPLAIN ODDITIES TO THE PEOPLETHAT COME AND PATRONIZE THEAREA.IT IS A GREAT AREA.REPORTER: THE MAYOR WEIGHING IN.ISN'T IT A BAD LOOK VISITORSCOME AND THERE IS NO POLICE TOSIT IN MARKET SQUARE.>> 0 OH YEAH I DON'T THINKTAKING THE TABLES OUT IS THESOLUTION.IT IS NOT ABOUT THE TABLES THEYARE NOT CAUSE CAUSING ADISRUPTION THE IT'S ABOUT WHENPEOPLE BECOME INTOXICATED ANDBECOME EITHER LOUD OR GET INTOPHYSICAL ALTERCATIONS.REPORTER: BOTH DISTRICT ATTORNEYSTEPHEN ZAPPALA AND MAYOR BILL

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You may want to sit down before reading this. The chairs in Market Square are gone. Both tables and chairs have been removed from the public city-owned plaza in downtown Pittsburgh after a coordinated effort between District Attorney Steven Zappala, the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership and local merchants. After increasing concern over drug use, loitering and crime in the plaza, businesses urged law enforcement and city officials to take action. “That’s all I would see is just junkies everywhere," said Shane Trimbur, one of many people walking around Market Square on Friday. "It brought me down because Pittsburgh is a lovely place." The tables and chairs have been gone for a few days now and were not visible during lunch hour Friday. However, the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership has said the chairs will be present during lunch hours. The PDP did not grant an interview request from Pittsburgh's Action News 4 on Friday. The hope is that the table and chair removal will reduce that drug scene downtown. "It's not an ideal solution," Zappala said. "There is a reality that it is being abused, and guys are hanging out and they're not good citizens of the city." The DA says drug activity in the area is "constant," and his narcotics team made 150 drug arrests there last year, up from 91 the previous year. He thinks the chairs are part of the problem. "I think it's part of an ongoing process. Will it improve things down there? Merchants tell me it will," Zappala said. Not everyone agrees. "There's drugs everywhere," said Kevin Elkins, as he stood in the square. "It has nothing relative to do with seats or tables. It has to do with the police not monitoring the overall situation."