The Media Relations Unit, Staff Inspections/ Accreditation Unit, and the Office of Internal Affairs are the three main components of the Office of the Chief. Scirotto said he has obtained legal counsel and is planning on filing a wrongful termination lawsuit against the city. They called for racial justice in response to a grand jury decision in Louisville to charge one officer involved in the raid that killed Breonna Taylor. Sign up for NBC South Florida newsletters. Fort Lauderdale police fired tear gas and rubber bullets during the protest, exacerbating to a chaotic and violent scene. Some officers seem to revel in the return fire. I stand with my Jewish friends, and Im honored to be on your hit list. Scirotto denied asking which candidate was blacker when deciding on the promotion, but admitted to making comments about the wall being too white, because he felt it was not reflective of the community, according to the report. (Adelaide Chen) Karen Dietrich, an assistant chief who came up through the ranks, took over as interim chief the same day Maglione was demoted. FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. Fort Lauderdale has named its new Chief of Police. Four officers three white and one Hispanic filed EEOC complaints alleging that the chief was promoting unfairly. All Rights Reserved. Atlanta-Area Agency Facing Critical Officer Shortage. 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. Click for details on her case and to see how you can help. City Manager Chris Lagerbloom has announced former Pittsburgh Assistant Chief Larry Scirotto as the sole finalist for Chief of the Fort Lauderdale Police Department. Larry Scirotto is expected to join the department in mid-August, City Manager Chris Lagerbloom announced Tuesday. As of last month, it employed 690 officers out of an authorized strength of 939, leaving more than a quarter of sworn officer positions vacant. Chief Greg Allen joined the El Paso Police Department in 1978, starting off patrolling Central and the West Side. The new chief came to town. FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) A Florida police chief has been fired after only about six months on the job following an investigation into several . Again, I go back to the fact that we support a very diverse organization," Lagerbloom said. Hes also a masters degree candidate in Organizational Development and Leadership at Saint Josephs University. As I see it, this is a fresh start for everybody, including the internal leadership team, he told the South Florida Sun Sentinel. The attorney for the four officers who filed the EEOC complaints said in a statement that she hopes the "city continues on this path making improvements within the agency.. The department is not broken, said the union president, Brandon Diaz. Soon after being hired, Scirotto promoted 15 officers nine were white men, six were minorities through ethnicity or gender. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our, sworn in as the agencys 39th police chief, send mental health professionals to certain calls, initiating outside reviews of the agency by police consultants, operating under the direction of Assistant Chief Karen Dietrich, City Manager Chris Lagerbloom demoted former Chief Rick Maglione. Starting Monday, April 4, Patrick Lynn will take over the department, announced Fort Lauderdale City Manager Chris Lagerbloom. Theyre ready for this process to be complete, Diaz said. Police say protesters started it all when they threw rocks, bricks and fireworks. Dietrich has been in charge of the agencys 530 sworn officers and 179 civilians since July 9, when Lagerbloomdemoted Rick Maglionefrom chief to major. Scirotto, 48, will make $200,000 a year overseeing the agencys 530 sworn officers and 179 civilians. Lagerbloom, charged with hiring the citys new top cop, also wants to name a new interim chief to level the playing field. I see it as him taking the time to make sure the right person gets hired. What would the optics have been on that?. Aurora Police Chief Kristen Ziman is in the running to become chief of police in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, according to Fort Lauderdale city officials. Some officers seem to revel in the return fire. He turns 63 in October of this year the mandatory retirement age for Chicago police officers. Discovery Company. Luis Cabrera, deputy chief in Miami. Copyright 2023 Local10.com is published by WPLG INC., a Berkshire Hathaway company. He comes to us at an important moment in law enforcement as departments nationwide work to ensure community trust and that everyone is treated equally and fairly in interactions with officers. When asked about his approach to promotions, Scirotto told investigators he was going to consider diversity at every opportunity, and he had to be intentional in his decision-making process. We were looking for someone who would be a collaborative leader, both with the community and the rank and file. Share & Bookmark, Press Enter to show all options, press Tab go to next option, Employee Recognition-Complaint Hotline 954-828-6956. Chief Lynn was a stabilizing figure last year during a period of transition for this department, Lagerbloom said. DeSantis spoke at an invitation-only event at an Elmhurst banquet hall - encouraging Chicago Police officers to leave Illinois and come work at departments in Florida. He started making positive changes that would impact the whole community in a more positive direction than we had been in," community activist Jackie Scott said. He was also a member of the Tallahassee Police Department from 1988 until 2011. Larry Scirotto, 48, the son of a white mother and Black father and the departments first openly gay chief, was fired last Thursday after a city report related examples such as how he had once pointed to a display of photos of the departments command staff in a conference room and said: That wall is too white and Im gonna change that.. I have no allegiance to anyone there, which means everyone will be measured on their own merit. Larry Scirotto, a former assistant police chief in Pittsburgh, has been tapped to lead the Fort Lauderdale Police Department. Fort Lauderdale Police Department. El Paso Chief Dies After 15 Years Leading Department. . According to the job posting, the ideal candidate will be interpersonal and culturally sensitive; ethical and of high integrity; a supporter, coach and mentor; and a diplomatic, prudent and highly effective conflict manager. Bill Schultz; retired Miami Assistant Chief Dennis Jackson; Chief Kristen Ziman from Aurora, Ill.; Orlando Chief Orlando Rolon; and Houston Assistant Chief Heather Morris. RELATED: Fort Lauderdale Police Chief Rick Maglione removed as officers face scrutiny over protest brutality. This is not a moment in time. Minutes later Sheriff Mike Chitwood responded that he was OK and explained what happened. (City of Fort Lauderdale/Courtesy). Karen Dietrich, 50, was chosen Thursday by Fort Lauderdale City Manager Chris Lagerbloom to lead the department as interim chief after Lagerbloom asked former chief Rick Maglione to step. He then rose through the ranks retiring as the citys Deputy Chief in 2007. Michelle Solomon, Podcast Producer/Reporter. Seven contenders are in line to lead Fort Lauderdales police department. Sheriff Thorntonposted a photo on Facebook of at least 17 unused patrol cars. 2023 Cable News Network. . Throughout the decades, he moved up to the rank of deputy chief in charge of the Central and Pebble Hills regional command centers. Its a wait-and-see attitude, Diaz added. If promoting diversity is the hill Im going to die on, I will sleep well tonight, he said. Det. Lynn has been in law enforcement for 35 years beginning as began as a patrol officer with the City of Pembroke Pines Police Department in 1982. Fort Lauderdale The search for a new police chief in Fort Lauderdale hasnt turned up enough good candidates, so City Manager Chris Lagerbloom plans to try again. The Fort Lauderdale Police Department has been without a permanent leader since July 9. Office of the Chief | Fort Lauderdale Police Department Font Size: About FLPD Office of the Chief Units of the Office of the Chief of Police The Media Relations Unit, Staff Inspections/ Accreditation Unit, and the Office of Internal Affairs are the three main components of the Office of the Chief. Scirotto joined the department after the Fort Lauderdale police were hit by accusations of internal turmoil and use of excessive force after officers fired rubber bullets and teargas into a crowd protesting the 2020 murder of George Floyd, a Black man, by a white police officer in Minneapolis, which sparked civil rights protests across the country and internationally. Copyright 2022 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved. The departments rank and file are eager to see a new leader named, said Detective Brandon Diaz, police union president. He came in as the department was dealing with backlash from incidents during protests after George Floyds murder in Minneapolis. Our officers deserve some stability, which theyre finally going to get., Larry Scirotto, a former assistant police chief in Pittsburgh, has been tapped to lead the Fort Lauderdale Police Department. Four who were not selected for promotion three men and one woman filed complaints with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Willie Dennard, captain . Police Chief Jorge Colina will walk out of the downtown Miami police headquarters for the final time on Friday. Roln has worked with the Orlando Police Department since 1992 and was sworn in as the agencys 39th police chief in 2018. Other candidates vying for the Fort Lauderdale position come from similar leadership roles. The city of Fort Lauderdale has fired its police chief Larry Scirotto, who has been in office for less than a year, following allegations of discriminatory practices for promotions. Maglione had been chief since 2016. Copyright 2023 Local10.com is published by WPLG INC., a Berkshire Hathaway company. That was the day Lagerbloom demoted longtime chief Rick Maglione to major as protests over the police killing of George Floyd swept the nation. He seemed honest. He spent 23 years in the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police and was the youngest assistant chief in that departments history. I know we dont release the data publicly in a way I want to, so the public can see when we use force and the outcome of that force.. Did you encounter any technical issues? This past year, he was chosen to be one of the referees to officiate in the mens NCAA Final Four in Indianapolis. Unlike the shorter police academies, future officers serve as apprentices or cadets for a two-to-three-year program involving comprehensive learning through years of field experience and classroom instruction. If youre a hardcore college basketball fan and that name sounds familiar, its because Scirotto also works as an NCAA referee. Provide a safe and orderly environment in our city through professionalism, dedication, an active partnership with the community and concern for individual dignity.