The Pittsburgh branch of the NAACP is calling on city leaders to slow the confirmation process for Christopher Ragland as police chief to allow for at least one public forum.
In an email to Mayor Ed Gainey, City Council members and their staffers, the NAACP branch offered to coordinate with community partners to host a public meeting where residents could talk with Ragland, the city’s acting police chief, before council votes on whether to approve the nomination to make him chief permanently.
“This crucial step reinforces the foundation of community engagement by ensuring a transparent approach — that prioritizes a strong community relationship at its core,” the email reads.
Without such a step, the NAACP wrote, Pittsburghers may feel excluded, which would undermine efforts to strengthen relationships between police and the communities they serve.
Gainey last week announced he was nominating Ragland, 53, of Downtown, to serve as permanent police chief. Ragland has been acting chief since former Chief Larry Scirotto resigned in November amid controversy over his plans to referee college basketball games while leading the bureau.
When asked about whether he would support delaying Ragland’s appointment to permit public involvement, Gainey on Tuesday told TribLive, “I’ve been one of the most transparent mayors this city’s ever seen. I’m very engaged with community engagement. But there are also some times as the CEO of this city that I have to make decisions because it’s in the best interest of the city.”
Daylon Davis, who heads the local NAACP chapter, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Pittsburgh City Councilman Anthony Coghill, D-Beechview, said he would also like to pause on Ragland’s confirmation proceedings to allow for a broader public process.
“I support their call to vet him in public,” Coghill said. “I thought this mayor rushed way too quickly into putting him up for permanent chief. I have lots of questions myself.”
Council will interview Ragland under oath before voting on his confirmation. A date for the interview has not yet been set.
Gainey’s quick decision to promote from within the ranks comes in stark contrast to his process for choosing his last chief.
When Scott Schubert stepped down as chief in May 2022, Gainey launched a monthslong national search to consider candidates both within the bureau and throughout the country before landing on Scirotto. The process cost the city $80,000 and was criticized for being secretive.