Mayor-elect Corey O’Connor has nominated Jason Lando, an openly gay, longtime Pittsburgh police officer and current chief in Frederick, Maryland, as the city’s next Chief of Police.
If confirmed, Lando will become the second openly LGBTQ+ person to serve as Pittsburgh’s police chief, following Chief Larry Scirotto. His nomination marks not just a return home, but a renewed focus on inclusive, community-based policing with a leader who knows the city inside and out.
“Jason is the kind of leader we need,” said O’Connor at a Thursday press conference. “He’s respected throughout the bureau for his service—from officer to commander—and brings both experience and empathy to the job. He helped shape our community policing model and now he’s coming back to lead it.”
Lando, 48, has served as chief in Frederick since 2021. His final day there will be December 5. Though he admitted it won’t be easy to leave the officers and community in Maryland, the opportunity to return to his hometown and the department where he began his career was too meaningful to pass up.
“There’s only one reason I’m doing this: because Pittsburgh is my home,” Lando said. “This is where I started. I’m coming back, and I’m in it for the long haul.”
Lando was previously a finalist in Mayor Ed Gainey’s nationwide search for a police chief in 2022, a process that ultimately led to the appointment of Chief Larry Scirotto. Scirotto’s tenure ended less than two years later, leaving the position once again open for new leadership.
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Known for his tenure as commander in Pittsburgh’s Zone 5, Lando built a reputation for transforming relationships between law enforcement and community members, especially in neighborhoods historically underserved or over-policed. He now plans to take that work citywide.
“We changed the culture and the way we did business in Zone 5,” Lando said. “Now we’re going to do that across Pittsburgh.”
As Pittsburgh prepares for a new mayoral administration, Lando’s nomination represents both a homecoming and a step forward, affirming that LGBTQ+ leadership belongs in every room, including the highest ranks of law enforcement.
City council must still confirm Lando’s appointment.
