The Pittsburgh Police Chief is an American law enforcement official who serves as the head of the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, appointed by the Mayor of Pittsburgh. The Chief is a sworn law enforcement officer, and was historically referred to as the Police Superintendent as well as Chief, both titles having the same authority and meaning.
Chiefs No. Chief Appointed by Start End Duration Notes Samuel Morrison 1794 John B. Gray 1815 1826 (p68) Page 53 1 Matthew J. Green McCarthy 1868 1869 1 year 2 Robert Hague Brush 1869 1872 3 years 3 John Irwin Blackmore 1872 1875 3 years 4 James McCandless McCarthy 1875 1876 1 year 5 W. M. Hartzell McCarthy 1876 1877 1 year 6 Philip Demmel McCarthy 1877 1878 1 year 7 Robert Hague Liddell 1878 1879 1 year 8 J. P. Heisel Lyon 1881 1883 2 years 9 G. L. Braun or L. G. Brown Fulton 1884 1884 1 year 10 T. A. Blackmore Fulton 1885 1886 1 year Was a "viewer" clerk in 1892. 11 Nathan S. Brokaw Fulton 1887 1887 1 year 12 Roger O'Mara McCallin 1889 (Feb 23-Mar 10) 1896 (March 6) 6 years 362 days aug. 1892, June 24, 1894 was arrested with Public Safety Dir. makes 2,400/year 13 A. H. Leslie Ford 1896 (August 1) 1901 (October 1) 5 years 61 days Jul 1 1899 Jul 8 1901 or before 14 Soloman Coulson Diehl 1900 was asst. super jul 1899; 15 A. H. Leslie Ford 1896 (August 1) 1901 (October 1) Jul 1 1899 Jul 8 1901 or before 16 Gamble Weir mayor 1901? 17 Roger O'Mara Diehl 1901 (Jan 14) 1901 (Sep 10) 240 days 18 John McAleese mayor by Feb. 3 1902 Previously warden of the Allegheny county jail; in 1911 lived in Fay, Lawrence Co. 19 John P. McTighe Brown March 5, 1903 was under consideration hats, 400 officers 20 Bernard McStay Hays early 1904 1904 (April 30) 21 Alexander W. "Buck" Wallace Hays 1904 (April 30) June 1906 ran for alderman 1908 big bio, ran a saloon, lived with sister & denied pay cause "out of towner", brother died aug. 1904 22 Thomas A. McQuaide Guthrie 1906 1914 joined 1886 chief of detectives 1903, chief 1906-? 3 mayors 23 Noble Matthews Armstrong 1914 1918 24 Robert J. Alderdice Babcock 1918 1921 Jan 191925 Davis Babcock 1919 (September 28) 1921? 26 Thomas F. Carroll Babcock 1921 (June 11?) 1921 (August 17?) 27 John C. Calhoun Magee 1922 (April 13) 1922 (September 5) 28 Edward N. Jones Magee 1923 (June 17) 1923 (November) 29 Edward J. Brophy Magee 1923 (November 18) 1926 (Spring) 30 Peter Paul Walsh Kline 1926 (Spring) 1933 (April 15) 31 Franklin T. McQuaide Herron 1933 (April 15) 1934 (January) 32 Ben R. Marshall McNair 1934 (January) 1934 (September) Joined 1909 33 Jacob F. Dorsey* McNair 1934 (September) 1936 (Summer) 34 Franklin T. McQuaide Scully 1936 (Summer) 1939 (March 17) 35 Harvey J. Scott Scully 1939 (March 17) 1952 (August 11) 36 Henry Pieper* Lawrence 1952 (August 11) 1952 (August 13) 37 James W. Slusser Lawrence 1952 (August 13) 1970 (January 5) 38 Stephen A. Joyce Flaherty 1970 (January 5) 1971 (February 10) 39 Robert E. Colville Flaherty 1971 (February 10) 1975 (March 1) 40 Robert J. Coll Flaherty 1975 (March 1) 1986 (April 4) 41 William Ward* Caliguiri 1986 (April 4) 1986 (April 21) 42 William "Mugsy" Moore Caliguiri 1986 (April 21) 1987 (May 11) 43 Donald Aubrecht* Caliguiri 1987 (May 11) 1987 (May 22) 44 Ralph Pampena Caliguiri 1987 (May 22) 1990 (May 17) 45 Mayer DeRoy Masloff 1990 (May 17) 1992 (June 15) 46 Earl Buford Masloff 1992 (June 15) 1995 (December 29) 47 William E. Bochter* Murphy 1995 (December 29) 1996 (April 2) 48 Robert McNeilly Murphy 1996 (April 2) 2006 (January 2) 49 Dom Costa O'Connor 2006 (January 2) 2006 (September 28) 50 Earl Woodyard, Jr.* Ravenstahl 2006 (September 29) 2006 (October 31) 51 Nathan Harper Ravenstahl 2006 (October 31) 2013 (February 20) 52 Regina McDonald* Ravenstahl 2013 (February 20) 2014 (September 15) 53 Cameron McLay Peduto 2014 (September 15) 2016 (November 8) 54 Scott Schubert Peduto 2016 (November 8) 2022 (July 1) 55 Tom Stangrecki* Gainey 2022 (July 2) 2023 (July 6) 56 Larry Scirotto Gainey 2023 (July 7) 2024 (November 1) 57 Christopher Ragland* Gainey 2024 (November 1) 2025 (March 4) 58 Martin Devine Gainey 2025 (March 4) 2026 (Jan. 8) 59 Jason Lando O'Connor 2026 (Jan. 8) Present
Longest Tenure – James W. Slusser (1952–1970) 13 years, 5 months – Harvey J. Scott (1939–1952) – Robert J. Coll (1975–1986) – Robert McNeilly (1996–2006) 9 years – Thomas A. McQuaide (1906–1914) 7 years – Peter Paul Walsh (1926–1933) 7 years – Roger O'Mara (1889–1896) – Nathan Harper (2006–2013) - Scott Schubert (2016-2022) 5 years, 61 days – AH Leslie – Robert E. Colville (1971–1975) – Earl Buford (1992–1995) 3 years, 6 months – Franklin T. McQuaide (1933, 1936–1939) – Ralph Pampena (1987–1990)
Public Safety Directors Pittsburgh was required by an 1887 state law to have a Public Safety Director over all emergency responders. Lee C. Schmidt- Current Wendell Hissrich - January 11, 2016 City Names FBI Unit Chief As New Public Safety Director - January 2022 Steven Bucar - July 29, 2014 What happens to Huss?- September 2015 Michael Huss -January 24, 2007 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Google News Archive Search-July 29, 2014 Robert Kennedy Jan. 2003 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Google News Archive Search-2005 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Google News Archive Search Sal Sirabella 1994-2003Jan. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Google News Archive Search 2003 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Google News Archive Search Kathy Kraus 1995-2005? Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Google News Archive Search Lou DiNardo April 27, 1992 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Google News Archive Search-1995 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Google News Archive Search Glenn Cannon October 7, 1986-Observer-Reporter - Google News Archive Search July 1992 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Google News Archive Search - John J. Norton July 3, 1985 The Pittsburgh Press - Google News Archive Search-October 7, 1986 Observer-Reporter - Google News Archive Search John H. Bingler April 1970- Gettysburg Times - Google News Archive Search Princeton Engineering, Pitt Law, US Justice Dept Civil Rights Division 1965-1967, Frogman, born 1939. James Cortese June 11, 1969 – 1970? Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Google News Archive Search chief of the Bureau of Building Inspection in mid-1960s born 1932. David W. Craig March 16, 1967-January 1967? Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Google News Archive Search Toledo Blade - Google News Archive Search former City Solicitor James Dillon -March 16, 1967 Toledo Blade - Google News Archive Search Former FBI Agent and attorney. Louis Rosenberg 1957?-1961? was city council, after a federal judge Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Google News Archive Search Born 1898 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Google News Archive Search David Olbum January 1, 1955- The Pittsburgh Press - Google News Archive Search was city council, after a common pleas judge Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Google News Archive Search board member of County Sanitary Authority 1946-1955, and County Elections supervisor (succeeding John Heinz) 1928 Pitt Law Grad previously born 1907 The Pittsburgh Press - Google News Archive Search George E.A. Fairley 1943 The Pittsburgh Press - Google News Archive Search 1936-Jan. 1 1955 born 1877 Colonel World War I vet, superintendent for CMU from 1920-1936 The Pittsburgh Press - Google News Archive Search Colonel Thomas A. Dunn - January 1935 The Pittsburgh Press - Google News Archive Search - Aug 7 1936 The Pittsburgh Press - Google News Archive Search Chamber of Commerce President 1920-1931, candidate for Mayor 1929. Served on Prison Board. The Pittsburgh Press - Google News Archive Search Died Aug 10 1936 fired on July 15, 1936. Marshall Bell September 1934?Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Google News Archive Search-January 1935 The Pittsburgh Press - Google News Archive Search Ralph E. Smith Jan 22, 1934 Born Ellicottville New York 1868 moved to Pittsburgh 1902 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Google News Archive Search March 1934 The Pittsburgh Press - Google News Archive Search Office at 215 City-County, Police Chiefs office 205 City-County. James M. Clark July 1926 The Pittsburgh Press - Google News Archive Search April 1933 The Pittsburgh Press - Google News Archive Search Prichard 1920 The Pittsburgh Press - Google News Archive Search Charles S. Hubbard October 1914 The Gazette Times - Google News Archive Search October 1915 The Gazette Times - Google News Archive Search 1918 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Google News Archive Search John H. Dalley May 25, 1913 ECONOMY IN MOTOR FIRE APPARATUS; Pittsburgh's Safety Director Estimates 50 Per Cent. Profit on Complete Installation. October 1913 The Gazette Times - Google News Archive Search John M. Morin 1912 Gettysburg Times - Google News Archive Search -January 28, 1913 Edward G. Lang 1908 The Pittsburgh Press - Google News Archive SearchPittsburgh Post-Gazette - Google News Archive Search Harry Moore late March 1903 The Pittsburgh Press - Google News Archive Search April 1904 The Pittsburgh Press - Google News Archive Search Frank Ridgeway 1906-07 A.H. Leslie November 26, 1901 The Pittsburgh Gazette - Google News Archive Search-1902 The Pittsburgh Press - Google News Archive Search J.O. Brown 1887-1889 1 July 17, 1899 The Pittsburgh Press - Google News Archive Search & 1892 (with all salaries): Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, April 8, 1892, Image 6
Police Commissioners William J. Kane 1920
See also Pittsburgh Police Allegheny County District Attorney Allegheny County Sheriff
References
External links Police Chief's page on the Pittsburgh Police website Pittsburgh Police Chief Mayoral protection detail