Announcement from Pittsburgh Police Chief Larry Scirotto

"I’m excited to share that in a few days I will wake up to a dream come true — I’ll be putting on a striped jersey and getting back on a basketball court as a referee for college basketball. As a lifelong sports fan who lives and breathes teamwork, I’ve worked out a way of accommodating the schedule so that I may continue to fight for you as your Chief.    

 

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.    

 

I love the City of Pittsburgh, I am proud of the progress the force is making, and I am committed to continuing to fight for your safety and the well-being of our officers.    

 

For me, it’s a dream come true and one that I now get to use to connect the city’s youth sports initiatives to sports programs in the city, and now college basketball. But it's bigger than me, it's an exciting first for our city and for Pittsburgh’s youth, envisioning a new path to a brighter future."