Mayor Taps Acting Chief to Head Pittsburgh Police

Just three months after the departure of Pittsburgh’s former police chief, Mayor Ed Gainey has nominated Acting Chief Christopher Ragland to be the bureau’s next top cop.

“Acting Chief Ragland has demonstrated the ability to lead the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police with a commitment to moving the bureau in the right direction,” Mr. Gainey said in a statement. “He believes in unbiased policing, grounding his work in respect for each person that he encounters. He has a deep understanding of all bureau needs — from operations to administration — and a strong commitment to human and civil rights.”

Gainey’s office made the nomination public Friday afternoon, saying the decision was made after a “careful and thorough process” that included meeting multiple officers across the city’s six police zones. It’s unclear exactly what else went into the search for the city’s next police chief, the Post-Gazette reports.

To fully assume the role, Acting Chief Ragland will have to be confirmed by city council, where he will likely be interviewed under oath. He was named acting chief in October, when former Chief Larry Scirroto left to referee NCAA basketball — a controversial side gig he held while commanding the bureau.

Prior to assuming the acting chief position, Chief Ragland was named assistant chief in February 2024. He joined the bureau in 1994 as a patrolman in the Zone 4 bureau in Squirrel Hill.