Scirotto discusses vision ahead of confirmation as next Pittsburgh police chief
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Pittsburgh City Council is expected to overwhelmingly confirm Larry Scirotto, the mayor's choice to become the next police chief of the city of Pittsburgh.
Scirotto sat down with KDKA investigator Andy Sheehan to map out his vision for the Pittsburgh police in the face of immense challenges, including the alarming incidents of gun violence that have plagued the city for the past two years.
When he is officially approved by city council Tuesday, Larry Scirotto will have his work cut out for him -- how to tame an epidemic in gun violence with an ever-diminishing number of police.
Taking the reins of the police bureau in a time of crisis will require leadership, invention and a new strategy to bring the epidemic of gun violence under control. Scirotto says he has that strategy.
"It's a strategy that works. It's a proven strategy. And getting back to that style of policing, those focused efforts towards those select individuals that in our communities are willing to commit gun violence is a priority of mine," Scirotto said.
Leaving Pittsburgh as an assistant chief back in 2018, Scirotto oversaw the now-defunct gun violence intervention unit which targeted known shooters and used analytics and what he calls "precision policing" to disrupt and prevent acts of retaliation.
"We had a unit that was focused on street gun violence and that street response unit was contingent of 16 officers, four detectives and two supervisors in charge of those officers and in that, their daily focus was to interrupt gun violence," he said.
Scirotto intends to bring the unit back along with supervision and training to avoid abuses like the infamous unit in Memphis whose actions resulted in the death of Tyre Nichols. He wants officers to proactively make arrests and gun seizures without targeting neighborhoods or violating the civil rights of innocent people while assuring the rank and file he has their back.
"Our officers need to know that they are supported when they do their job in the right way. I stand behind our officers. I was proactive my entire career and I did my job the right way my entire career and had tremendous impact in this space. So it can be done," he said.
But will he have the manpower to do it? The city is down to about 800 officers from the budgeted number of 900. The city is putting on a new recruit class in July but by the time they hit the streets, the bureau could be down to around 700 officers.
Sheehan: "How are you going to achieve all that with less than 700 cops?"
Scirotto: "You start to prioritize what policing looks like in Pittsburgh."
Scirotto says police responded to 10,000 parking complaints last year and 7,000 mostly bogus burglary alarms. Instead, he'll introduce an online citizen reporting system to free those officers up to fight more serious crime and develop relationships with the community. He wants to put another police class on in November and start a new recruitment drive to attract young and diverse officers to the exciting -- if more dangerous -- world of big city policing.
Sheehan: "Are you going to be the salesman?"
Scirotto: "Absolutely, I advocate for this police department every day."
"We're taking this message on the road, explaining the why, the benefits of working here. Why do you want to be a Pittsburgh police officer? And this is why, and hear it from us. There's been a void there for the last five years," he added.
It's a tall order but as acting chief, Scirotto has already been on the scene of one shooting and plans to begin implementing changes in the near future.
Scirotto will also have the distinction of being the first openly gay chief in the city's history.
On the eve of his confirmation of chief, Larry Scirotto is thinking back to 2008 when he joined the Pittsburgh police, worried about whether his sexuality would bring his career to an early end.
"I think of my 20-year-old self coming into this police department terrified -- terrified that my sexual orientation, the person I love, could take away the career that I love. I was the first out male officer of the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police," he said.
But as the first to declare himself openly gay, Scirotto says he was relieved and surprised to be overwhelmingly supported by his brother and sister officers.
"It was so well received. I was so welcomed within this organization. It gave me such a sense of peace but also a sense of responsibility for those like me who were entering this profession or in this profession, some 20 years in this profession but never could be their true self," he said.
Now as he becomes chief, Scirotto says he will take that responsibility a step further as he tries to recruit diverse officers to join the police bureau. He will be reaching out to young gay people to say they too are welcomed and wanted.
"In this role today, being an openly gay man, being chief of police, leading a major metropolitan city police department and to say you can do this -- not only be a part of this profession but you can be a leader in this profession. You can be a leader in the Pittsburgh police," he said.
Scirotto believes the Pittsburgh police were ahead of the nation in accepting him and other gay officers and the rest of the nation is catching up.
"Society just evolves for the better. We talk about inclusion and this is what it looks like," he said.
