University Times

Pitt could be getting a new police chief for the holidays.

Assistant Chancellor Jerome Cochran told the University Times that he has narrowed the list of candidates for the position to two finalists and that he expects "to make an offer to a candidate some time in mid-December." Associate Vice Chancellor for Business John DeVitto has been running the 70-officer force since Rick Boyd resigned in May. After Boyd was named Public Safety director, the Department of Public Safety was renamed the University of Pittsburgh Police Department and the Public Safety director's position changed to chief of police.

Before a final choice is made, both finalists will meet with various senior administrators at the University. Following those interviews, Cochran said, he will receive input from those administrators, and then make a decision. He declined to say if either of the candidates was internal.

No search committee was formed to find candidates for the police chief's post. Instead, according to Cochran, the position was advertised in law enforcement circles both internally and externally. University policy does not require a search committee for the post of police chief.

"I conducted a review of many, many, many resumes and expressions of interest," Cochran said. "From amongst those I selected a group of individuals who I thought had the appropriate background and credentials to be potentially interesting candidates.

"I conducted initial interviews with those," he continued, "and then I selected from that batch six or seven for second interviews. Then I identified from that group the two who I thought were the most outstanding to be interviewed by other members of the senior staff." Boyd resigned his position last spring. Even though he did not have another job waiting, he said that he was leaving Pitt because "it's time for me to make a career change. I am doing what is best for me." Boyd said he had grown tired of the managerial end of the job and that the position had not evolved as he had hoped it would.

–Mike Sajna