Pittsburgh police chief decision to resume part-time refereeing draws criticism
Pittsburgh police Chief Larry Scirotto announced Thursday he will return to his passion of refereeing college basketball games part-time while running Western Pennsylvania's largest police force — apparently reversing an agreement with Mayor Ed Gainey not to officiate while serving as chief.
Gainey in a statement said Scirotto had approached him about "possibly needing to step down from his role in order to pursue this part-time referring gig."
"I said there must be a better way," Gainey said in the statement. "He's too good, and we are making too much progress, not to keep up the fight."
Scirotto earns $185,400 a year as chief.
The move quickly drew the ire of the head of the Fraternal Order of Police union and a city councilman who was one of the chief's most vocal supporters.
"The FOP is disappointed in the city's decision to allow for a part-time chief of police," Robert Swartzwelder, the union president, said in a statement. "When full-time leadership is needed [and] police staffing cut to the bone, the city has decided to allow its leadership to work off-duty details and referee games."
Councilman Anthony Coghill, who chairs City Council's public safety committee, said he was concerned about the chief's ability to juggle refereeing with running the police bureau.
"Do you want to be a referee or do you want to be a police chief?," the Beechview Democrat said. "I don't think he can do both. I would think that he has his hands full here in Pittsburgh with the lack of police we have and the new way of policing he's trying to shepherd in."
Scirotto said he will promote Assistant Chief Chris Ragland so there's no gap in running the force while he is refereeing.
"I've worked out a way of accommodating the schedule so that I may continue to fight for you as your chief," Scirotto wrote in a press release issued Thursday afternoon. "I'll be using my own time to ensure no cost to the city. To make certain there's never a break in command and control, I've identified Assistant Chief Chris Ragland to assume a unique role of Deputy Chief, to execute on decisions or respond to emergencies for those few hours when I'm on the court.
Scirotto described himself as a "lifelong sports fan." He said it was a "dream come true" to return to college refereeing, which he had done for years.
Upon hiring Scirotto, Gainey announced that Scirotto would no longer referee.
It is unclear what changed.
On Sunday, Scirotto refereed an exhibition college basketball game in Michigan, according to a Michigan State University website .
A Gainey spokeswoman Thursday forwarded questions to Cara Cruz, a police spokeswoman.
Cruz said she had no information on the chief's decision or whether the agreement to step down from NCAA duties was verbal or written.
Coghill also said he also did not know whether the agreement for Scirotto not to work as a referee was in writing.
Gainey nominated Scirotto for chief on May 3, 2023, following a nationwide search. Council confirmed Scirotto 20 days later .
The mayor worked with search committees, almost entirely behind closed doors, for nearly six months to find a successor to former Chief Scott Schubert, who announced his retirement in 2022.
"His deep love for the city, his knowledge of the bureau, and his outsider perspective make him the right choice for chief of police," Gainey said about Scirotto at the time.
Scirotto joined the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police in 1995, climbing the ranks to become assistant chief before retiring in 2018. During his tenure, he also headed the major crimes unit.
