Hometown son Jason Lando is set to be sworn in today as chief of the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, capping a long road back to the city where he built his career. The Squirrel Hill native returns after five years as police chief in Frederick, Maryland, following more than two decades of service in Pittsburgh. His installation gives Mayor Corey O'Connor a permanent leader at a time when the bureau is wrestling with staffing shortages and sagging morale.
The ceremony will make official what City Council already signed off on, after weeks of hearings and public questioning. Council voted unanimously to confirm Lando, a move that followed a sometimes tense but ultimately supportive vetting process. As reported by CBS Pittsburgh, today's swearing-in effectively closes the city's search for a permanent police chief.
What He Plans To Tackle
Lando has laid out a crowded to-do list. He has told reporters his top priorities include cutting violent crime, professionalizing command-level training, improving officer wellness and shoring up recruitment and retention. The bureau is currently operating in the mid-700s in sworn strength, and Lando has said he wants to rebuild toward roughly 900 officers, a number he frames as necessary to stabilize the force.
As reported by WTAE, those staffing and wellness goals were central to his confirmation testimony, with Lando fielding detailed questions about how he intends to recruit new officers and keep the ones already on the job.
Scrutiny From Frederick
The homecoming has not come without hard questions. As reported by WPXI, councilors pressed Lando under oath about a past Frederick investigation into alleged harassing messages sent to a former subordinate, an inquiry that did not result in criminal charges. Lando told the panel he wanted to confront the matter head on and then move forward in his new role.
Why This Matters
For Mayor O'Connor, the swearing-in solidifies a long-term public-safety partner as the bureau tries to rebuild staffing, retain experienced officers and strengthen community trust. The City of Frederick praised Lando's leadership when he departed for Pittsburgh in November 2025, pointing to his work on crisis-response partnerships and modernization efforts, as detailed by the City of Frederick.
Hoodline previously tracked Lando's nomination and the City Council vote, including the mayor's public case for choosing a hometown leader to run the bureau. See earlier coverage of his nomination for more background on how he landed the top job.
