Pittsburgh City Council tabled a measure to extend Chris Ragland's title as interim police chief for 30 days, one day after Ragland withdrew his name from consideration and hinted Councilmembers were making uncomfortable demands of him.
Retiring acting Police Chief Chris Ragland in studio on KDKA Radio
City Councilmember Anthony Coghill vehemently denies he was trying to pressure Chris Ragland to make certain appointments.
Sources tell KDKA Radio that some members of City Council pressured Ragland to hire two specific names to be assistant police chiefs.
In Council discussions on a now tabled bill to extend Ragland's interim title for another 30 days, Coghill said as Council's public safety chair, he needs to know who is going into key positions.
“I think he felt like I was trying to fill those positions or that he was being pressed into taking people in those positions, again nobody in particular I will tell you, but yeah, certainly I wanted to know who he was going to put in the higher positions,” said Coghill. “I want to know who’s going to pick up the phone for me, as a public safety chairman.”
Theresa Kail Smith says a new chief must be able to address low morale.
“We tried to get us to a place where we could put people that got along with this group, people got along with that group, the mayor got his appointee and the public had the public meetings that they wanted,” said Kail Smith.
Attending the meeting by phone, Councilman Bob Charland says if the Mayor or Ragland thinks Council did anything wrong, to put their money where their mouth is and file an ethics complaint.