Private investigator, retired police chief talks shop at Monroeville library

John Hartman, a graduate of Gateway High School, built an extensive career in law enforcement before becoming a licensed private investigator and published author.

The career path seemed almost predetermined for Hartman, the son of a Monroeville police officer. He would listen as his father discussed cases at the dinner table.

“I didn’t realize it at the time, but I was already in the police department,” he said. “I became a police officer because I wanted to help people. I wanted to be the wall in between the victim and the bad guy.”

After earning a master’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh’s Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, Hartman began his career as a patrolman. He went on to serve as a detective for the North Franklin Township and Belle Vernon Borough police departments.

Founding a regional police force

When Belle Vernon Borough sought to establish a regional police department, officials offered Hartman the police chief position. Hartman spearheaded the creation of the Southwest Regional Police Department, which expanded to cover 10 municipalities across Fayette, Washington and Greene counties.

During his time as chief, Hartman started a multijurisdictional Special Response Team, a river rescue and patrol unit, and a special investigations unit that focused on drug investigations and child predator cases.

Author, educator

Hartman also taught at the Beaver County College Police Academy, Penn State University and California University of Pennsylvania, now known as PennWest.

In addition to his police work, Hartman is a published author. He held a presentation at the Monroeville Public Library on Oct. 13, where he donated a copy of his book, “Legal Guidelines for Covert Surveillance Operations in the Private Sector.”

Published in 1992, the book was written to provide both private investigators and law enforcement with a model on legal surveillance operations and relevant laws.

“I wrote the book because there was nothing like it on the market, and the issue needed to be addressed,” Hartman said. “It was considered by some to be a definitive source.”

The book addresses the “blurring of lines” between the private and public sector, as private agents do not have the same permissions and sanctions as police officers.

“If you choose to go into (private investigator) work, you have to give up your job as a police officer,” Hartman said.

Hartman was a contributing author for “Encyclopedia for Security Management,” writing sections on investigations and report writing. He is also a staff writer for PI Magazine and a contributor to independent journalist Dave Bondy’s podcast, “Keeping it Real.”

Currently, Hartman is completing “Good Cop – the Police Work that Derailed a Monster,” a book about the capture of an individual who sexually assaulted and murdered an 8-year-old girl in Stilwell, Okla. The perpetrator was discovered in North Belle Vernon at Graham Street Park on July 9, 1998.

Transition to private investigations

Hartman retired in 2018 and became a licensed private investigator — for a second time — in 2022, founding John Dale Hartman Private Investigations. He said transitioning from law enforcement back to the private sector was easy.

“When you enjoy what you do, it is never work,” he said. “At the end of the day, all it takes as an investigator is talking to someone.”

He added that his prior experience continues to inform his current role.

“When I became a detective, I relied on the skills I learned as a police officer. When I became a (private investigator), I leaned on my skills as a detective.”

Hartman is a member of the Pennsylvania Association of Licensed Investigators and Intellenet, a worldwide network of about 600 security consultants and investigators. The retired police chief is also the of Razor Enterprises, which is “developing software for use in online undercover investigations,” he said.

Hartman is the past Rotary District Governor and a current District Rotary Foundation Chair. He and his wife, Jennifer, have two daughters and four grandchildren.