Mayor Gainey names interim police chief following Schubert's retirement announcement

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Pittsburgh Police Chief Scott Schubert announced his retirement Friday after nearly 30 years of service to the department.

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Mayor Ed Gainey's office sent a 9 a.m. alert to the media announcing a 10 a.m. news conference, the specific reason for which was not disclosed.

Then, minutes later, Schubert announced his retirement in a statement.

"Following deep reflection and significant discussion with my family, I have come to the decision that it is time to step away from the Chief's position and allow one of my brothers or sisters in blue the opportunity to serve this great city and this storied institution," Schubert said in a statement. "There has been no greater professional or personal joy than to have represented the City of Pittsburgh and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police."

You can read the full statement here.

A short time later, Gainey made the announcement official.

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"He came to us and said he wanted to retire and I respect that," Gainey said of Schubert, who was nowhere in sight. "He walked the beat by himself, he raised money for children, you can't ask for a better police officer."

Since Gainey became mayor, many had questioned whether Schubert would stay on as chief. Gainey ran on a platform of police reform, and his transition report released two weeks ago had called for new leadership in the police bureau.

In his tenure as chief, Schubert had instituted many of the reforms Gainey has been calling for -- implicit bias training, de-escalation tactics and more community-police officers walking the beat. But the transition report indicated those reforms had fallen short. Schubert also had to balance the calls for change with support for his rank and file and many officers privately grumbled when he took a knee during this Black Lives Matter protest.

Gainey said Schubert's last day will be July 1, and announced that Tom Stangrecki will become the interim police chief on July 2.

"He's a lifelong Pittsburgh resident, a Pittsburgh Public graduate and he's served the bureau for 34 years," Gainey said of Stangrecki.

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Schubert served as a patrolman, detective, sergeant, lieutenant, commander, assistant chief and acting chief before being named chief in 2017.

Gainey said he and his team will begin a national search for a permanent chief.

"Our process will be centered around the voices of community members," Gainey said. "This (is an) important decision for the future of our police force. It is critical to build strong police-community relations."

In:
• Scott Schubert
• Ed Gainey
• Tom Stangrecki