Shortly after he was sworn in as Pittsburgh’s new police chief, Jason Lando said he was already looking ahead to prioritizing community initiatives and officer retention. And he’s already dealing with a headache that has afflicted other local officials during the presidency of Donald Trump.
Lando, Mayor Corey O’Connor’s pick for the position, was officially confirmed by City Council vote last week, and was sworn in Friday in City Council chambers. After taking his oath, Lando told reporters he plans to convene new advisory groups to guide his leadership of the police bureau. He envisions the first as a community advisory board of 50 to 60 local leaders and residents, with the goal of fostering dialogue between residents and police.
“I want to know the needs of the community. And I also want to make sure the community understands our policies and why we do what we do,” he said. “So that next step is to build that board and then come together on a regular basis to strengthen those relationships.”
He hopes the other group, an employee advisory board, will help improve communication with rank-and-file officers and make them more likely to stay at the department.
“ I want to spend time with the officers and hearing directly from them what makes them tick,” he said. “If they have the opportunity to go to another department, what makes them say ‘I want to stay’ or ‘I want to go’?”
Lando had been leading the bureau in an acting capacity since O’Connor took office. And he’s already dealing with some of the troubles that have vexed cities around the country — including the challenge of managing interactions with federal immigration enforcement agents who have made their presence known in unprecedented ways.
Lando said that recently, there have been three incidents in which Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents abandoned a car in the middle of an intersection after arresting someone.. He said Homeland Security officials assured him that was not department policy.
“Apparently they’re supposed to park their cars legally, lock them and return the keys to them, and I think that’s the right thing to do,” Lando said. “So, hoping that that’s what they do moving forward.”
Lando says federal authorities don’t notify the local police of arrests in advance, but will notify local police AFTER they have detained someone. He told his officers to report to him if they see any more abandoned vehicles.
O’Connor has pledged the department would not collaborate with ICE, and Lando and new public safety director Sheldon Williams have both emphasized that immigration enforcement is not part of the job of city police.
Lando is a 21-year veteran of the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police who left for Frederick, Maryland in 2021. He was previously a candidate to be Pittsburgh’s chief in 2023. During his previous time in Pittsburgh, Lando served as commander of the Narcotics & Vice unit and as commander of Zone 5, which encompasses Pittsburgh’s East End. He’s said his priorities alongside recruitment and retention are keeping violent and quality-of-life crime numbers low and focusing on officer wellness and professional development.
He’s the latest in a string of several police officers over the past four years, directly replacing former Acting Chief Marty Devine. Lando assured reporters that he was not going anywhere, and said addressing challenges in Pittsburgh isn’t something that will be fixed “overnight.”
“I would not have come back here if I wasn’t in it for the long haul. And so I plan to be around for a long time,” he said. “ When we talk about stability, I think that’s what you need, is someone who’s committed to being here.”