The Office of the Chief is also responsible for the overall management and operation of the Support Services Bureau, the Investigations Bureau and the Operations Bureau. I want to have a chief of police who honors the fact that public records are public. Police say protesters started it all when they threw rocks, bricks and fireworks. The investigation also concluded almost every witness was dissatisfied, with Scirottos approach to promotions, and most believed that Chief Scirotto made clear his intention to promote based on race, gender or sexual orientation.. Chief Scirotto emerged as the clear, sole finalist after a thorough year-long process in the search for a new leader of our department, Lagerbloom said in a statement. Attorney Christina Currie used to head the Ft. Lauderdale Citizens Investigative Panel which looked into complaints against officers. FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. The city of Fort Lauderdale has identified a sole finalist for its chief of police position. A city of Fort Lauderdale news release said the chief, Larry Scirotto, 48, was fired by City Manager Chris Lagerbloom on Thursday. He came from a department that shared the most information on data and statistics.. Lagerbloom has not said just what prompted the move, but Maglione posted a public statement on July 4 defending the actions his officers took during a May 31 protest over the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. I wont allow them to tarnish the work that Ive done in the 24 years Ive been in this profession., In one example in the report, Scirotto is alleged to have overlooked a White man with 20 years tenure with the department, and instead narrowed the choice between two men of color, and asked, which one is blacker.. Starting Monday, April 4, Patrick Lynn will take over the department, announced Fort Lauderdale City Manager Chris Lagerbloom. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much This past year, he was chosen to be one of the referees to officiate in the mens NCAA Final Four in Indianapolis. . He wasnt all just talk, she said. As chief, Scirotto promises to bring accountability to the department and to treat everyone fairly. This is not a moment in time. As I see it, this is a fresh start for everybody, including the internal leadership team, he told the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Fort Lauderdale Police Department | Home Home News Sitemap Contact Us Employee Recognition-Complaint Hotline 954-828-6956 RSS Home About FLPD News Community Solve Crimes Employment FAQs Help Us Find Sophie Reeder Click for details on her case and to see how you can help. FLPD Seeks to Identify Man Captured on Video Near Homicide Scene, Employee Recognition-Complaint Hotline 954-828-6956. Some officers seem to revel in the return fire. There are things we can do better. 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. Please enable JavaScript in your browser for a better user experience. That appointment will likely happen in the next couple weeks, Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis said Monday. He holds a bachelors degree in criminal justice from Ashworth University and is a masters degree candidate in Organizational Development and Leadership from Saint Josephs University. 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.. He then rose through the ranks retiring as the citys Deputy Chief in 2007. The report followed several. Willie Dennard, captain . If you want to take an organization somewhere, sometimes you have to look to the outside.. 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. Theyre ready to go, he said with a laugh. Copyright 2022 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved. Hes also a masters degree candidate in Organizational Development and Leadership at Saint Josephs University. He is also a graduate of the Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command. In a statement the city said it had decided to cut ties with the police chief, who was not on a contract, saying: After a thorough and extensive investigation of employee complaints at the Fort Lauderdale Police Department, City Manager Chris Lagerbloom has determined that it is in the Citys best interest to separate employment with Larry Scirotto.. "I want a great relationship with people in our community who havent had access in the past," Scirotto said at the time. I support his decision. He plans to stay onboard for awhile to help with the transition, Lagerbloom said. The report said that Scirotto had responded that the context of his comment had been built around how do I convince the community that we are an inclusive and diverse organization if this wall is so white?. . 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. 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.. Former Fort Lauderdale Police Chief Larry Scirotto is seen in this file photo from the Fort Lauderdale Police Dept. Larry Scirotto is expected to join the department in. He formerly served as a deputy chief in charge of OPDs Patrol Services Bureau, including during the shooting at Pulse nightclub in June 2016, and has held positions in most of the agencys departments over his career. More , The City of Fort Lauderdale is an Equal Opportunity Employer.-, Fort Lauderdale Police Department, 1300 W Broward Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312 | Tel: 954-828-5700 | Internal Affairs: 954-828-6956 |Site Map, 2023 Fort Lauderdale Police Department | Created by Vision Internet Innovators of Online Government. Days after he was fired, the former police chief for the Fort Lauderdale Police Department is strongly denying allegations that he promoted officers based on their race, gender and sexual orientation. "I think our community was really excited changing the culture of what we had experienced here in our police department.. City Manager Chris Lagerbloom shared the news Tuesday with the departments command staff and rank and file. He came in as the department was dealing with backlash from incidents during protests after George Floyds murder in Minneapolis. I believe weve found that.. FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) A Florida police chief has been fired after only about six months on the job following an investigation into several . Bill Schultz. The investigation into the bias complaints noted that Scirotto once said a conference room wall of photos was "too white and said, Im gonna change that., Another time, when considering a promotion, the investigation found that Scirotto said which one is blacker? The report quoted Scirotto as saying he intended to "consider diversity at every opportunity., Theres everything we have to do in the proper way. The list of semi-finalists represented a lot of talent both within and outside the department, Mayor Dean Trantalis said. Det. Sheriff Thorntonposted a photo on Facebook of at least 17 unused patrol cars. A list of eight semifinalists. Local activists said OPDs reform under Roln has not gone far enough to address the needs of the community. Some believed it was about time changes were made, but stated if promotions were based on things such as race it would even hurt or undermine the people promoted, the report said. Fort Lauderdale's police chief has been fired after only about six months on the job following an investigation into complaints that he made hiring and promotion decisions with an improper. Fort Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale has hired a new police chief just 19 days after the firing of former Chief Larry Scirotto. Scirotto also provided WFOR with what he said was context for his comments about the wall being too white.. Lynn becomes the top cop after the firing earlier this month of Larry Scirotto after just over six months of leading the Fort Lauderdale Police Department after a workplace discrimination complaint. He followed up with an email. Karen Dietrich, an assistant chief who came up through the ranks, took over as interim chief the same day Maglione was demoted. As a leader, I will be visible and engaged with the community and the officers. 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. And I anticipate they will all step up and support the new chief.. 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. 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. 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 spent 23 years in the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police and was the youngest assistant chief in that departments history. Glassman says hes glad to see the city manager is not in a rush to name a new chief. Some believed it was about time changes were made, but stated if promotions were based on things such as race it would even hurt or undermine the people promoted, the report said. Following a thorough and extensive investigation of employee complaints at the Fort Lauderdale Police Department, City Manager Chris Lagerbloom, has determined that it is in the Citys best interest to separate employment with Larry Scirotto, the city said in a statement dated March 3. said attorney Christina Currie, who used to head the Fort Lauderdale Citizens Investigative Panel. The department has about 530 officers and 179 civilian employees. But the former police chief has said he plans to maintain his position on the issue. Three of the semifinalists named by the City of Fort Lauderdale were internal: Interim Assistant Chief Frank Sousa, Maj. Dana Swisher and Capt. (John McCall/South Florida Sun Sentinel). The Fort Lauderdale Police Department has been without a permanent leader since July 9. Fort Lauderdale Police names Patrick Lynn chief. There are just certain ways that you can do that and do it legally, and other ways that meet that muster.. She stepped down in February after Lagerbloom, unhappy with the list of contenders, said he was conducting a new search for the departments top cop. If promoting diversity is the hill Im going to die on, I will sleep well tonight, he said. Karen Dietrich is stepping down as interim chief of the Fort Lauderdale Police Department after six months in the role, effectively taking herself out of the running to be the agency's top cop. NC Sheriff Provides Community Photo Evidence of Deputy Shortage. I stand with my Jewish friends, and Im honored to be on your hit list. (Photo courtesy of City of Fort Lauderdale), its handling of downtown protests on May 31 and the aftermath. The city ultimately decided to cut ties with Scirotto, who did not have a contract with the city and will not be receiving a severance, city spokesperson Stephen Gollan told CNN. The Fort Lauderdale Police Department has been primarily operating under the direction of Assistant Chief Karen Dietrich since July, when City Manager Chris Lagerbloom demoted former Chief Rick Maglione over statements defending the agencys response to citywide protests for racial justice. Again, I go back to the fact that we support a very diverse organization," Lagerbloom said. Click for details on her case and to see how you can help. Fort Lauderdales now-former police chief has hit back at officials in the Florida city who fired him after just six months on the job, accusing him of focusing too heavily on a diversity policy in hiring and promotion. OPD referred further questions to the Fort Lauderdale Police Department. But retirement didnt last for long. Scirotto will be making the move from Dallas to Fort Lauderdale with his two American bulldogs, Charlie and Linus. Scirotto, 48, will make $200,000 a year overseeing the agencys 530 sworn officers and 179 civilians. The Sun Sentinel reports the list of candidates includes Interim Chief Karen Dietrich, a veteran Fort Lauderdale officer who came up through the ranks; Craig Capri, former chief in Daytona Beach; Todd Chamberlain, a former Los Angeles school police chief and retired commander with the Los Angeles Police Department; Jack "John" Dale, a former Fort Fort Lauderdale Police Department at City of Fort Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale officials have indicated the city could rescind promotions made on Scirottos watch. Copyright 2021 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved. What would the optics have been on that?. Copyright 2023 Local10.com is published by WPLG INC., a Berkshire Hathaway company. FL Sheriff Calls Anti-Semitic Group "Scumbags, Says He's Honored to be On Their Hit List, "These scumbags came to the wrong county," Volusia County Sheriff, Mike Chitwood, said. Ali Adamson, spokesperson for the Office of the Chief at FLPD, directed questions to the City of Fort Lauderdale, which did not respond to multiple requests Thursday. The first round of applications did not measure up to the expectations of the city manager, Trantalis said. Scirotto did not return NBC 6's requests for comment. Scirotto, a former assistant chief in Pittsburgh, was the first openly gay chief hired in Fort Lauderdale and also is from a mixed-race background. College Degrees Designed for Police Officers, Best Practices for Active Shooter Response and Police Training, The Tennessee Department of Public Safety Increased Visibility, Accountability and Accuracy with Inventory Management Software Designed Specifically for Law Enforcement, DC Mayor Taps Veteran Metro Officer as Next Police Chief, After Murders of Officers in Charlotte Area NC Chiefs Ask Governor to Condemn Attacks on Police, CA Sheriff Defies Judge's Order to Release Violent Inmates Over COVID, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Chief Tests Positive for COVID-19, Chicago Police Superintendent Announces Resignation. In total, 21 witnesses, including the chief, gave a consistent narrative to investigators about Scirottos hiring and promotion practices, the report reads. Lagerbloom,. 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 Lauderdales citizens police review board. Soon after being hired, Scirotto promoted 15 officers nine were white men, six were minorities through ethnicity or gender. Receive the latest law enforcement in-depth information, news and products. 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.