A primary election and accusations of quid pro quo loom over Pittsburgh's search for a new police chief
The fallout continued on Wednesday in the wake of the sudden resignation of Acting Pittsburgh Police Chief Christopher Ragland.
The question now is, did council members pressure Ragland to promote certain officers in exchange for their support for him to become the next chief?
"There are certain demands that went against my ethics," Accusations of a quid pro quo fly on City Council
That accusation has flown as a political battle is raging on Grant Street.
Ragland surprised many this week when he pulled his name from contention and abruptly resigned from the bureau. At an afternoon press conference on Wednesday, Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey said Ragland told him why he made that decision.
"[Ragland] told me that he felt he was asked some things that were inappropriate and his integrity would be questioned and he wasn't going to do it," Gainey said.
Ragland met last month with Public Safety Director Lee Schmidt and council members Anthony Coghill and Theresa Kail-Smith, and that's where Gainey said Ragland was offered quid pro quo: promote certain officers and he would get their vote as chief.
Sheehan: Did anyone on council ask you to promote certain people as a quid pro quo of being named chief?
Ragland: There are certain demands that went against my ethics and morals that I cannot live with.
"I certainly wanted to know who he was going to put in the higher positions," said Coghill. "I wanted to know who was going to pick up the phone for me."
Today, both Coghill and Smith denied those accusations.
"I can tell you that he and I didn't have that conversation," Kail-Smith said. "In the meeting I sat in on, there was a public safety director there who could have intervened and said that was inappropriate. That didn't happen."
Both of the councilmembers said that Ragland had his detractors in the bureau so they recommended some candidates they said could help hm better establish communications with the rank and file, but they did not frame that as tit for tat.
"Maybe it was his people skills, his management skills that people didn't feel comfortable with," Kail-Smith said. "So, we talked about surrounding him with a team that could work with the officers and talk to people."
Gainey told KDKA-TV that they had no right asking him that.
Meanwhile, Coghill said that the mayor is trying to deflect criticism that he's been unable to fill the position since Larry Sciorotto retired last year. Gainey fired back saying that it was Coghill doing the deflecting.
"If I had done something like that, behind closed doors, quid pro quo, asking who it's going to be, you would be at my door asking why I did that," Gainey said.
For now, Assistant Chief Marty Devine will become the acting chief, but when that position will be filled on a permanent basis remains an open question.
The primary election and the search for a new police chief
It's back to square one in Pittsburgh to find a permanent police chief. With Ragland's resignation, the search begins anew and it's a process that will almost certainly push the decision past the May Democratic primary.
The surprise announcement puts the Gainey Administration back to the beginning in their search. Stepping in is steady-handed Assistant Chief Marty Devine who is coming up on 25 years with the bureau. He's a popular figure who worked up the ranks from patrol to detective and is making his mark as the head of investigations.
"Certainly, Marty has proven himself to me and the residents of the City of Pittsburgh for a long time so I think Marty would be a great choice," said Coghill.
"I like Marty Devine," added Kail-Smith. "I think he's a great officer, there's a lot going on in our bureau right now and he would be someone the officers would be comfortable with."
However, sources tell KDKA-TV that while Devine is willing to take on the job on a temporary basis, he is not interested in pursuing the permanent chief position. Instead, the city heads back to the drawing board.
They will not embark on a nationwide search, the administration will take its time reviewing both internal and external candidates.
"We want whoever will be best for the department and that's what we'll do," said Mayor Gainey.
That process, however, will take months - not weeks - well past the May primary election and that usually determines who will be the city's next mayor.
Kail-Smith said that's a good thing, taking the politics out of the equation.
"I'm asking everyone to put the health of the bureau and our residents and our officers first," she said.
With Devine taking his name out of consideration, the city will be without a full-time chief for quite some time.
