Carnegie Mellon taps Mt. Lebanon chief to lead university police

Carnegie Mellon University has tapped a South Hills police chief to lead its university police department, university officials said Wednesday.

Mt. Lebanon Chief Aaron Lauth will take over the CMU police May 23. He will succeed Thomas Ogden, who has led the university police since 2008. Ogden, too, previously led the Mt. Lebanon Police Department before taking over at CMU. He announced his retirement late last year.

Daryl Weinert, the university’s vice president of operations, lauded Lauth’s vision of policing.

He said Lauth told the search committee: “Everyone desires to be heard, respected and treated fairly. I am optimistic that a new era of public safety can be achieved that focuses on communication, compassion and a balanced approach to problem-solving.”

Lauth spent the last 23 years with the Mt. Lebanon department, working his way upward from the crime prevention unit to the patrol division and support services division before being named chief in 2015. Prior to Mt. Lebanon, Lauth served with the Ocean City, Md., police department. He has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and a master’s degree in strategic leadership.

Weinert pointed to Lauth’s focus on communication and outreach in those roles and his development of an officer wellness program.