PITTSBURGH -- Some parents are concerned that the closing and consolidation of some Pittsburgh schools could leave their children in danger.

Concerns range from neighborhood turf wars to children walking through unfamiliar neighborhoods.

To confront the concerns, a community forum on the issue was held Thursday night at Reizenstein Middle School.

At the meeting, officials announced the creation of a new program, called the Safety Zone Partnership.

With the partnership, the city and local law enforcement pledged to put kids first. They will establish a 1,000-foot safety zone around every Pittsburgh school.

Officials said they would demolish abandoned homes, fix lights, combat drug problems and get rid of simple signs.

"Signs don't work," said Pittsburgh Mayor Bob O'Connor, who spoke at Thursday night's meeting. "The only thing those guys understand is action, and we're going to show you some action. We're going to tow cars. We're going to bust some people. We're going to take strong action, send them a message."

WTAE-TV reported about 100 people attended the meeting.

Some also asked the superintendent to be careful with a potential school closing plan that involves putting kids from feuding neighborhoods into the same school.

"And you're going to see a flight," said parent Paul Dougherty. "It won't be white flight, it'll be a bright flight, because your brightest and best kids will take off if their parents feel they're in danger."

Others said parents shouldn't rely on police and the schools to do everything for them.

"The police department should only be reinforcing what the parents are already teaching the children in the home," said Eddie Maxie Givner, an area church pastor. "We have a problem, and we're going to address it. We'll be silent no more, because our time demands it, our history compels it, and our future requires it. Our children are depending on us."

Pittsburgh Police Department Chief Dominic Costa said the police will fulfill their duties with the new initiative.

"Neighborhood by neighborhood, block by block, person by person, school by school, the bureau of police and Mayor O'Connor are committed to making our city safe," Costa said.

Recent School Crime

On Wednesday, school police arrested a 14-year-old who brought a loaded gun to a high school.

On Tuesday afternoon, two teens playing hooky from another Pittsburgh school went in a side door to Perry Traditional Academy, triggering an alarm.

A school police officer stopped them and found a loaded gun on a 14-year-old.

"What was really impressive about this whole series of events, from the moment they breached the door to the time they had the gun and the actors in custody, it was a minute, four seconds," said Chief Robert Fadzen, of the Pittsburgh School Police.

Fadzen said the students apparently weren't there to harm anyone and may have been let in by a fellow student.

He also said school officials have to do a better job at telling students why they can't let friends in unauthorized doors.

Seventy-three guns were confiscated in the last school year for which there are statistics, along with more than 2,000 knives and more than 3,200 other weapons.

But, Pittsburgh parents said they aren't just worried about weapons in schools.

A student was shot and killed on the street outside Carrick High School in March 2005.

And parents in Homewood in the past made a highly publicized effort to try to make the streets around their children's school safer.