May 11, 2021
Speaker: David Shifren Pittsburgh Bureau of Police Officer
David Shifren is a community resources officer at the Pittsburgh Police Department’s Zone 4 Station on Northumberland Street. He will review recent crime statistics in Squirrel Hill and provide insights to those numbers based on his 15+ years of experience as a police officer. He will also expand on the themes of some of his Squirrel Hill Magazine columns.
About the Speaker: Officer Shifren is a Brooklyn native who began his career as a high-school teacher. He came to Pittsburgh in 1989 to enroll in the University of Pittsburgh’s Master of Fine Arts Program. Besides mentoring other writers, he has taught creative writing at Pitt and has offered a popular film-appreciation course through Pitt’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute for older adults. While doing research for one of his books more than 15 years ago, Officer Shifren convinced police to let him ride along with Pittsburgh detectives on the job. That prompted him, at age 44, to embark on a career in law enforcement, first with a suburban force and then with the City of Pittsburgh. Because of the quality of his written reports, fellow officers nicknamed him “The Professor. “ He has been recognized by Mayor Peduto for creating the Pittsburgh Police Junior Chess Club, which has expanded throughout the city and serves as a mentoring program for children. Officer Shifren founded the club because he taught chess in Hoboken, NJ, years ago and believes that playing the game improves children’s classroom performance and makes them better citizens.
Squirrel Hill Historical Society 