But in the fall, things turned sour when Scirotto promoted a list of minority employees. 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. Engle came under fire after he suggested that a Broward Sheriffs Office deputys death from COVID-19 was linked to his sexuality. Orlando police chief withdraws candidacy for top job at Fort Lauderdale A 23-year veteran with the Pittsburgh department, Scirotto retired in January 2018 and moved to Dallas two years later. Fort Lauderdale police chief fired over minority-first practices in Documents obtained from city officials by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel earlier this month show three internal candidates under consideration for police chief and five police officials from across Florida and the nation. Starting Monday, April 4, Patrick Lynn will take over the department, announced Fort Lauderdale City Manager Chris Lagerbloom. The agency is down nearly 30 deputies. In February, Dietrich announced she planned to step down from the role. Staff reporter David Harris and reporter Susannah Bryan with the South Florida Sun-Sentinel contributed to this report. 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Critics lambasted officers for firing tear gas and rubber bullets during what began as a peaceful protest. 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 minority-first approach. While I appreciate that respect, I strongly feel the playing field must be level for all candidates.. Fort Lauderdales new chief happens to be a fitness enthusiast and collegiate basketball referee. "We are pleased to see that the city of Fort Lauderdale is taking allegations of discriminatory practices within the department seriously," Tonja Haddad Coleman said. The bottom row had several white males and one white female. 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. He has the respect and support of the command staff and the rank and file. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) Tallahassee's Community Partners Committee narrowed the list of candidates for the city's new chief of police from 17 names to 10 names. 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. FL Sheriff Chases After Suspect During Radio Interview. All Rights Reserved. He said the context of the comment is built around how do I convince the community that we are an inclusive and diverse organization if this wall is so white? the report said. More , Click for details. 10:25 PM EST, Sat March 5, 2022. That's . 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. Soon after being hired, Scirotto promoted 15 officers nine were white men, six were minorities through ethnicity or gender. Police say protesters started it all when they threw rocks, bricks and fireworks. (City of Fort Lauderdale/Courtesy). I support his decision. Retired cop from Pittsburgh tapped to lead Fort Lauderdale Police I have a vision for the department, Scirotto said at the time. Dietrich has been in charge of the agencys 530 sworn officers and 179 civilians since July 9, when Lagerbloomdemoted Rick Maglionefrom chief to major. City Manager Chris Lagerbloom shared the news Tuesday with the departments command staff and rank and file. Four who were not selected for promotion three men and one woman filed complaints with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. They are trained in Critical Incident Stress Symptoms and Management as well as Fort Lauderdale Police Policies and Procedures. This is a movement. [RELATED: Fort Lauderdale Police Chief Rick Maglione removed as officers face scrutiny over protest brutality]. Additionally, about 120 of the filled positions are recruits that have not completed training, according to the police department. I would rather see him take the time and do it right. 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. 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. Sheriff Thorntonposted a photo on Facebook of at least 17 unused patrol cars. As I see it, this is a fresh start for everybody, including the internal leadership team, he told the South Florida Sun Sentinel. 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. Investigates both sworn and civilian public safety candidates, vendors, and other support candidates through in-person interviews. The list of semi-finalists represented a lot of talent both within and outside the department, Mayor Dean Trantalis said. And how do I purport we have that when the entire bottom row are white men? Scirotto told WFOR. 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. Some officers seem to revel in the return fire. 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. (Adelaide Chen) I dont want to second-guess the choice of the city manager, Trantalis said. The promotions I made of minority candidates were because they were exceptional candidates who excelled at every level of the organization, who deserved to be promoted and who were, by the way, happened to be minority not because they were minority., Scirotto was sworn-in as police chief in mid-August last year. If you need help with the Public File, call (954) 364-2526. 2023 Cable News Network. 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 came in as the department was dealing with backlash from incidents during protests after George Floyds murder in Minneapolis. Scirotto has a bachelors degree in criminal justice from Ashworth University and a graduate of the Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command. By choosing Scirotto, Lagerbloom rejected three internal candidates who were among the semi-finalists. 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. In total, 21 witnesses, including the chief, gave a consistent narrative to investigators about Scirottos hiring and promotion practices, the report reads. [RELATED: Fort Lauderdales interim police chief vows to reform troubled department], Unfortunately, the current recruitment process did not produce a finalist list that contained enough candidates to continue moving it forward, Lagerbloom wrote. Lagerbloom,. Units of the Office of the Chief of Police. More FLPD Seeks to Identify Man Captured on Video Near Homicide Scene March 4, 2022 FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) A Florida police chief has been fired after only about six months on the job following an investigation into several discrimination complaints. Check out the resumes of 10 Fort Myers police chief candidates Seven contenders are in line to lead Fort Lauderdales police department. The Commission said the measure was being taken in a step to increase diversity in the department. Top 10 Police Chief CandidatesSelect the candidates name to see their resume. Fort Lauderdale hires new police chief college hoops fans may - WPLG Karen Dietrich: Meet Fort Lauderdale's new police chief 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. Former Fort Lauderdale Police Chief Larry Scirotto is seen in this file photo from the Fort Lauderdale Police Dept. Fort Lauderdale Police Department | Home - FLPD The department is not broken, said the union president, Brandon Diaz. As for his law enforcement credentials, Scirotto was formerly the assistant police chief in Pittsburgh. In 2020, Lynn stepped into a former role as Davies police chief after Dale Engle resigned. Career Paths As a leader, I will be visible and engaged with the community and the officers. Florida police chief fired over minority-first approach | WFLA - CBS 42 Fort Lauderdale Interim Police Chief Stepping Down As Agency - WLRN ]. He said a mix of emotions will come over him as he finishes his last week on. Larry Scirotto is expected to join the department in mid-August, City Manager Chris Lagerbloom announced Tuesday. The report said Scirotto once pointed to a conference room wall displaying photos of the departments command staff and stated, that wall is too white, and Im gonna change that.. You dont know what hes going to bring, or what his vision is and how hes going to move the department forward.. said attorney Christina Currie, who used to head the Fort Lauderdale Citizens Investigative Panel. The hosts on Drew Gerabo Live were left speculating what was happening when they could not reach the sheriff. 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. Chief Greg Allen joined the El Paso Police Department in 1978, starting off patrolling Central and the West Side. 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. He seemed honest. Fort Lauderdale police chief fired over minority-first practices in Chief Scirotto brings extensive experience with a background in patrol, investigative and administrative assignments. Fort Lauderdale hires new police chief to run department rocked by Retired cop from Pittsburgh tapped to lead Fort Lauderdale Police - MSN Now, he is in the running to take the top cop job, down south.The city of Fort Lauderdale sent WESH 2 News a list of semi-finalists for its police chief position and Rolon is in the running . Retiring Miami Police Chief speaks about his career - Fort Lauderdale Tallahassee to select new Police Chief from pool of 7 finalists - WCTV