Fitzgerald Announces March Retirement of Superintendent Mcdonough Assistant Superintendent Kearns Promoted to Lead Agency

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 4, 2021

Fitzgerald Announces March Retirement of Superintendent McDonough Assistant Superintendent Kearns Promoted to Lead Agency

PITTSBURGH – County Executive Rich Fitzgerald today announced that County Police Superintendent Coleman McDonough has decided to retire at the end of March having served as the head of the agency since June 2016. McDonough made the announcement to the department earlier today.

“We have been fortunate to have Superintendent McDonough’s leadership in the County Police for the past five years, after his time at both state and local agencies. His steady leadership and example allowed him to work with and navigate the many law enforcement organizations here in our community through particularly difficult times for police locally and nationally,” said Fitzgerald. “We are sorry that he will be leaving the county but wish Coleman well as he spends much-deserved time off with his family and friends.”

Superintendent McDonough joined the Allegheny County Police Department (ACPD) as its superintendent in 2016. The former Chief of Police in Mt. Lebanon, he began his career in law enforcement in 1984 with the Pennsylvania State Police as a trooper. He rose to the position of Deputy Commissioner. A United States Army Veteran, McDonough has also been affiliated with a number of professional organizations including the county, state and international Chiefs of Police associations and the FBI National Academy Associates.

“When Coleman took over as superintendent, he took the helm of an agency that had not had a lot of turnover or change prior to his hiring. His existing relationships, easy-going nature and community approach to law enforcement enabled him to effect a culture change at the department much more quickly than anyone else may have been able to do,” said County Manager William D. McKain CPA. “The respect and esteem that his colleagues and his staff hold him in is evident. It allowed him to lead the department and set an example for other agencies through a tumultuous few years in our county.”

County Manager McKain announced that he has appointed Christopher Kearns as the new Superintendent of the Allegheny County Police Department. Kearns will begin his new role following McDonough’s retirement at the end of March. He has served as Assistant Superintendent in the department since August of 2020. He began his service with ACPD in February 1987 as a patrol officer.

During his tenure, McDonough oversaw a modernization of the department that included deployment of a Violent Crimes & Firearms Unit to address violent crime rates, creation of a Mobile Device and Computer Forensic Unit, Tactical De-Escalation and Implicit Bias training for officers, addition of police analysts to provide investigative support and smart policing initiatives, and institution of a Crash Reconstruction Unit and Technical Services Unit.

Other accomplishments have included:

• Oversaw the implementation of an MOU with Pittsburgh Police providing for ACPD to serve as an independent investigating agency for critical officer-involved incidents within the City of Pittsburgh; • Modernized operations with installation of in-car cameras and use of body-worn cameras for ACPD officers to increase transparency; • Led operations by law enforcement agencies throughout the county in response to multiple marches, parades and demonstrations; • Assisted the County Police Academy in acquiring state-of-the-art virtual training simulators to improve police officers’ use of force decision making; • Movement of the department’s headquarters and evidence inventory from the Point Breeze neighborhood of the City of Pittsburgh to a new location in Green Tree; • Launched a tip line to provide the public with an outlet to provide information to the department on criminal activity and violent crimes; and • Improved coordination of narcotics and firearms enforcement with federal and county law enforcement partners for its narcotics unit along with providing increased intelligence analyst resources.

“It has been a privilege leading the men and women of the Allegheny County Police for these last five years. I thank County Executive Fitzgerald and County Manager Willy McKain for providing me the opportunity to serve the citizens of this county. The Allegheny County Police are one of the best kept secrets in the Commonwealth,” said McDonough. “The range of services and the quality of services we provide to our law enforcement partners are a testament to the dedication and quiet professionalism of our officers and employees. I will miss it, but the department is going to be in great hands with Superintendent Chris Kearns.”

“After retirement, in the short term, I hope to catch up on some traveling with my lovely wife,” continued McDonough. “Eventually, I hope to find some ways to continue to serve via volunteering and/or teaching if the opportunities arise.”

Kearns has served in every position and in all ACPD divisions in his 30+ years with the department. He has served as the liaison for the Airport Authority and Transportation Security Administration and was Supervisor for the Mobile Field Force G20 response. His experience also includes service as the incident commander for Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT), Mobile Field Force, and Explosive Ordnance Devices (EOD).

“I thank the County Manager and the County Executive for their confidence in me as I look to build on the accomplishments of Superintendent McDonough with this appointment,” said Kearns. “On a daily basis, the men and women of this department secure our parks and airports and provide investigative assistance to the municipalities of Allegheny County. I will continue to work with the other agencies to strengthen our relationships and protect our communities.”

Kearns holds a bachelor’s degree in Criminology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He is trained or has certifications from FBI National Academy, FBI LEEDA – Conducting and Managing Internal Affairs Investigations, Secret Service Dignitary Protective Seminar, FEMA Incident Command System 200, 300, 400 and 700, and Pennsylvania State University Police Executive Development – Basic and Advanced. In addition to numerous letters of commendation for his service, Kearns has received multiple Variety Club Law Enforcement Awards and was named the Amen Corner Police Investigator of the Year 2002.

“We look forward to the work that the newly-named Superintendent Kearns will do to continue the professional organization that he inherits,” said Fitzgerald. “His experience as a member of this department throughout his entire career brings depth and institutional knowledge that will be immensely valuable to him in this new role.”

The Allegheny County Police Department has a budget of $37.5 million and a staff, including uniformed and civilian personnel, of more than 260.

# # #

Office of County Executive Rich Fitzgerald 101 Courthouse │ 436 Grant Street │ Pittsburgh, PA 15219 Phone: 412-350-6500 │ Fax: 412-350-6512 www.alleghenycounty.us