After serving as acting chief of Pittsburgh Police since Nov. 1, 2024, Christopher Ragland was nominated by Mayor Ed Gainey to serve as the next chief of police.
Ragland, a thirty-year veteran of the Pittsburgh Police and a Downtown resident, was initially picked as acting chief after former police chief Larry Scirotto resigned due to controversy. That controversy surrounded a supposed secret deal that allowed him to continue refereeing NCAA basketball games after a certain metric for murders in the city was met.
Gainey, however, denied the existence of a secret deal during a fireside chat and debate with democratic challenger Corey O’Connor at Chatham University’s campus. Gainey said that Scirotto’s partner had a virtual job in Pittsburgh that was then canceled, which led to Scirotto and his partner moving to Texas.
Scirotto talked about the details of his departure on KDKA radio in October 2024. In the interview, he said that he wants to follow his partner’s dreams and live in Texas.
In a prepared statement, Gainey said that Ragland has shown that he “is more than capable” to lead the bureau and is the right person for the job.
“[Ragland] believes in unbiased policing, grounding his work in respect for each person that he encounters,” Gainey said in the statement. “He has a deep understanding of all Bureau needs— from operations to administration— and a strong commitment to human and civil rights. With this foundation, he’s focused on building on our progress to enhance communication, accountability, and service to the people of Pittsburgh.”
This change will not affect Point Park’s police department, as it is a separate private force separate from the city’s police force. However, Point Park’s public safety department does have a mutual aid agreement with the city which allows Pittsburgh Police officers to help Point Park officers and vice versa.
Ragland’s nomination was little surprise to members of Pittsburgh City Council. Anthony Coghill (D), who represents the Beechview neighborhood and is also the chair of city council’s public safety committee, said that Ragland needs to prove himself as someone who can bring up morale and staffing numbers with the support of the police force in an interview with the Tribune-Review.
As far as staffing problems go, Ragland inherited a police force that has around 100 fewer officers than budgeted for, according to data from the Pittsburgh Fraternal Order of Police (FOP).
However, according to Ragland, police are generally still able to respond to calls in a timely manner. The police substation Downtown on Wood Street usually has anywhere from three to four police SUVs parked outside, along with several bicycle units at almost any moment.
In Gainey’s prepared statement, he also praised Ragland’s experience leading the zone one, three and six stations.
“As Commander of Zone One, he developed a Youth Diversion Program that continues to have a positive impact on Pittsburgh’s communities,” Gainey said. “He also serves as Co-Chair of the Hear Foundation Board of Directors, a Pittsburgh-based non-profit dedicated to collaborating with community leaders, police, and residents to create a safe, thriving community for all.”
