Retired cop from Pittsburgh tapped to lead Fort Lauderdale Police Department

For nearly a year, Fort Lauderdale’s troubled police department has been without a permanent leader, with two different interim chiefs taking over while a national search was underway.

That’s about to change.

Larry Scirotto, a former assistant chief from Pittsburgh, will be taking the helm on Aug. 16. Scirotto, 48, will make $200,000 a year overseeing the agency’s 530 sworn officers and 179 civilians.

City Manager Chris Lagerbloom shared the news Tuesday with the department’s command staff and rank and file. By choosing Scirotto, Lagerbloom rejected three internal candidates who were among the semi-finalists.

Lagerbloom says he made his choice partly based on the positive feedback Scirotto got from both police and the community — including religious leaders, NAACP officials and Fort Lauderdale’s citizens police review board.

“We want to really have a police department that is focused on 21st century modern policing,” Lagerbloom said. “If you want to take an organization somewhere, sometimes you have to look to the outside.”

As chief, Scirotto promises to bring accountability to the department and to treat everyone fairly.

“As I see it, this is a fresh start for everybody, including the internal leadership team,” he told the South Florida Sun Sentinel. “I have no allegiance to anyone there, which means everyone will be measured on their own merit. And I anticipate they will all step up and support the new chief.”

News that a chief has finally been chosen was a relief to Fort Lauderdale’s police officers, said Detective Brandon Diaz, union president.

“After a year of uncertainty, putting this behind us and being able to move forward is going to be a positive for everybody on the police department,” Diaz said. “Our officers deserve some stability, which they’re finally going to get.”

Lagerbloom also chose Scirotto — the youngest assistant chief in the history of the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police — for his extensive background in patrol work and experience with investigative and administrative assignments.

A 23-year veteran with the Pittsburgh department, Scirotto retired in January 2018 and moved to Dallas two years later.

“I believe to build trust and legitimacy in any organization, the trust is earned,” he said. “As a leader, I will be visible and engaged with the community and the officers. I have to be that visible leader, leading from the front, leading by example.”

Fresh face, fresh energy

Lagerbloom made his pick from a list of eight semi-finalists that included three internal candidates: Fort Lauderdale’s Assistant Chief Frank Sousa, Maj. Dana Swisher and Capt. Bill Schultz; retired Miami Assistant Chief Dennis Jackson; Chief Kristen Ziman from Aurora, Ill.; Orlando Chief Orlando Rolon; and Houston Assistant Chief Heather Morris.

The list of semi-finalists represented a lot of talent both within and outside the department, Mayor Dean Trantalis said.

“I don’t want to second-guess the choice of the city manager,” Trantalis said. “I support his decision. He did talk about wanting to hire from outside to bring in fresh energy.”

Christina Currie, chair of the citizens police review board, says Lagerbloom picked the right guy to bring change to the department.

“He wasn’t all just talk,” she said. “He seemed honest. I want to have a chief of police who honors the fact that public records are public. He came from a department that shared the most information on data and statistics.”

In Pittsburgh, Scirotto came up with strategies to reduce and solve violent crimes. He also reorganized the Violent Crime Unit by combining homicide, aggravated assault and robbery investigations into a single unit to prioritize crimes against people.

As assistant chief, Scirotto was responsible for oversight of the police bureau’s accreditation, policy development, labor management, internal investigations, and criminal intelligence and education.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Ashworth University and is a master’s degree candidate in Organizational Development and Leadership from Saint Joseph’s University. He is also a graduate of the Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command.

Fort Lauderdale’s new chief happens to be a fitness enthusiast and collegiate basketball referee. This past year, he was chosen to be one of the referees to officiate in the men’s NCAA Final Four in Indianapolis.

Shakeup at the top

The Fort Lauderdale Police Department has been without a permanent leader since July 9.

That was the day Lagerbloom demoted longtime chief Rick Maglione to major as protests over the police killing of George Floyd swept the nation.

Maglione lost his job as chief five days after posting a public statement defending actions his officers took during a May 31 protest over the killing of Floyd in Minneapolis.

Critics lambasted officers for firing tear gas and rubber bullets during what began as a peaceful protest. Police accused some protesters of throwing rocks, bricks and fireworks, arguing that warranted a strong response.

Karen Dietrich, an assistant chief who came up through the ranks, took over as interim chief the same day Maglione was demoted.

She stepped down in February after Lagerbloom, unhappy with the list of contenders, said he was conducting a new search for the department’s top cop.

With Dietrich out as interim chief, Lagerbloom turned to former Davie Police Chief Patrick Lynn to oversee the agency while the national search was under way. He plans to stay onboard for awhile to help with the transition, Lagerbloom said.

Scirotto will be making the move from Dallas to Fort Lauderdale with his two American bulldogs, Charlie and Linus.

“They’re ready to go,” he said with a laugh.

Susannah Bryan can be reached at sbryan@sunsentinel.com or on Twitter @Susannah_Bryan