Pittsburgh’s Public Safety Director, Stephen Bucar, will leave his post next month, Mayor Bill Peduto’s office announced Thursday.
Bucar accepted a position as Deputy Commissioner of Staff with the Pennsylvania State Police in Harrisburg. He was hired by Peduto in May 2014 following a national search.
“Steve Bucar has committed his entire life to public service, and provided the people of Pittsburgh that service when they needed it most. I want to thank him on behalf of the entire city for the work he has done here on our behalf over the past year,” Peduto said in a statement.
He joined the city at a tumultuous time -- former Police Chief Nate Harper had been sentenced to federal prison for conspiracy and tax evasion. Peduto, then newly elected, tasked him with rebuilding trust within the police force and mending tense community and officer relations.
“I long said I wanted to find an Eliot Ness -- an untouchable -- to come in and help repair the department, and that is exactly what we got in Steve,” Peduto said. “He was just what the city needed, and now the whole Commonwealth will benefit from his experience and integrity.”
Bucar, who spent 20 years with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, will serve his last day in Pittsburgh on Oct. 9. His new position begins Oct. 12.
Deputy Public Safety Director Mike Huss will serve as acting director of the department while the Mayor begins a new search for a permanent director.
