Bolstering the number of minority officers and modernizing the force with new technology are among the challenges Coleman McDonough will face as the head of the Allegheny County police. County officials announced Thursday that McDonough, Mt. Lebanon’s former police chief, will succeed Charles Moffatt as police superintendent. “I’ve worked a number of different areas, and I’ve worked a number of different levels,â€? McDonough, 61, said at an introductory news conference at the Allegheny County Courthouse. “What I’ve learned more than anything is that I’m usually not the smartest person in the room. I’m very willing to ask for assistance to see if there’s a better way of doing business, and (I’m) very open to changing the way that we do policing.â€? McDonough will oversee more than 260 employees and a $29.6 million annual budget. His hiring takes effect immediately, and he will earn an annual salary of $108,000, county Manager William McKain said. He was among 47 candidates who applied for the job in a nationwide search. During the vetting process, “it became very clear that Coleman is the right person at the right time to lead the county police,â€? McKain said. The attribute that “jumped out at us was his use of data, where he takes statistics and intelligence and makes informed decisions on how to allocate resources, to get out in front of crime, to use best practices for investigations,â€? McKain said. McDonough said he is open to the idea of equipping county police officers with body cameras. A handful of departments in Pennsylvania have begun using them, including Pittsburgh police, and experts say more will start once lawmakers resolve concerns about officers recording inside homes. “Body cameras, I believe, are useful,â€? McDonough said. “They shed some transparency on the way police do business. That’s a good thing. But there are some hidden costs. There are some legal issues that we have to overcome before we adopt them wholeheartedly.â€? Minorities make up about 18 percent of the county’s population, according to Census Bureau estimates, but its police force is more than 90 percent white, Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald said. “I want to make sure going forward that our county police looks more like Allegheny County,â€? Fitzgerald said. “Right now, it doesn’t as far as I’m concerned.â€? To diversify the ranks, Fitzgerald said the county needs to send recruiters to minority neighborhoods. “It’s really important to me that we beef up the number of minorities on the force, the number of women that are on the force,â€? Fitzgerald said. McDonough spent 24 years with the state police, working in criminal investigation, forensics and administration. He was Mt. Lebanon’s police chief for more than six years before retiring last May. He served in the Army and earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh in 1982 and a master’s degree from the University of Cincinnati in 2005. His father, Coleman R. “Coleyâ€? McDonough, was a Pittsburgh police officer who was shot and killed in the the line of duty in 1965. Moffatt, superintendent for 12 years, announced his retirement in January after 48 years in law enforcement. Jim Morton, assistant superintendent, has filled the role of acting superintendent since Moffatt’s departure. McDonough takes over a department that saw a bump in homicides after several years of decreases. In Allegheny County, detectives investigated 57 homicides in 2015 — up from 47 in 2014 and 46 in 2013, but about the same as the 55 homicides reported in 2012. Tony Raap and Megan Guza are Tribune-Review staff writers. Reach Raap at 412-320-7827 or traap@tribweb.com. Reach Guza at 412-380-8519 or mguza@tribweb.com. Email Newsletters TribLIVE's Daily and Weekly email newsletters deliver the news you want and information you need, right to your inbox.