# Pittsburgh Police Chief

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 civilian administrator, 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 | Notes |
| 1 | Matthew J. Green | mayor | 1868 | 1869 | |
| 2 | Robert Hague | Brush | 1869 | 1872 | |
| 3 | John Irwin | Blackmore | 1872 | 1875 | |
| 4 | James McCandless | McCarthy | 1875 | 1876 | |
| 5 | W. M. Hartzell | McCarthy | 1876 | 1877 | |
| 6 | Philip Demmel | McCarthy | 1877 | 1878 | |
| 7 | Robert Hague | Liddell | 1878 | 1879 | |
| 8 | J. P. Heisel | Lyon | 1881 | 1883 | |
| 9 | G. L. Braun or L. G. Brown | Fulton | 1884 | 1884 | |
| 10 | T. A. Blackmore | Fulton | 1885 | 1886 | Was a "viewer" clerk in 1892. |
| 11 | Nathan S. Brokaw | Fulton | 1887 | 1887 | |
| 12 | Roger O'Mara | McCallin | 1889 (Feb 23-Mar 10) | 1896 (March 6) | 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) | 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) | |
| 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 was out | 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 1911 |
| 23 | Noble Matthews | Armstrong | 1914 | 1918 | |
| 24 | Robert J. Alderdice | Babcock | 1918 | 1921 | Jan 1919 |
| 25 | 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 | Larry Scirotto | Gainey | 2023 (July 7) | 2024 (November 1) | |
| 56 | Christopher Ragland | Gainey | 2024 (November 1) | Present | |

## Longest Tenure

* 17 years, 145 days – James W. Slusser (1952–1970)
* 13 years, 5 months – Harvey J. Scott (1939–1952)
* 11 years, 34 days – Robert J. Coll (1975–1986)
* 9 years, 275 days – 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)
* 6 years, 112 days – Nathan Harper (2006–2013)
* 5 years, 61 days – AH Leslie
* 4 years, 19 days – Robert E. Colville (1971–1975)
* 3 years, 197 days – Earl Buford (1992–1995)
* 3 years, 6 months – Franklin T. McQuaide (1933, 1936–1939)
* 2 years, 360 days – 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 July 17, 1899 The Pittsburgh Press - Google News Archive Search & 1892 (with all salaries): Pittsburg dispatch. [volume (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, April 08, 1892, Image 6]

## Police Commissioners

* William J. Kane 1920