Plum officials promote police detective to assistant chief, patrolman to detective

Plum officials promoted from within when selecting a new assistant police chief and juvenile detective.

Mark Focareta and Joe Little were unanimously appointed to their respective new positions by a 6-0 vote Monday night. Council Vice President Dave Vento was absent.

Both were sworn in by Mayor Harry Schlegel.

Focareta, 48, a Plum native, served in the borough force for 22 years and the past 19 as its juvenile detective.

He graduated from Plum High School in 1990 and worked as an officer for Wilkinsburg and Blawnox police prior to joining Plum.

“I’m excited for where the department’s headed,” Focareta said. “With Chief (Lanny) Conley, we have a real good vision for how we can get the department moving forward. I want to get us up to speed technology-wise, streamline the process and get us in that direction more than we are. I want to get us much stronger using the tools that we have.

“I think we have an excellent community, and there’s nowhere else I would want to work.”

Conley praised Focareta’s technological prowess.

“Mark has the strengths to bring a new vision to the department (and) getting us up to date on information technology,” Conley said. “Basically bringing up new software, new programs, revising our policies and procedures. He brings a fresh look at everything. It’s just tremendous what he can do technology-wise. That’s what we need the most help in, becoming the 21st century police department that we need to be.”

Focareta is the son of Terry Focareta, who served in the borough department for 29 years, including 10 as chief in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Little, 45, of Plum has been on the borough force for 16 years, including five as a school resource officer for Plum School District.

He served as a military police officer for the Air Force from 1993 to 1997 and went on to serve as a detective in the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office in Florida until 2002.

Little said he looks forward to continuing his efforts helping borough youths in his new position.

“It’s a lifelong goal of mine,” Little said. “I gave up being a detective in Florida to move back up here, where I’m native, and (this position) was my goal to attain when I started here. I have been here for as long as I have because I like the people that I work with. I like the people that I work for.

“The community is a good place to raise a family. My son, Anthony, just graduated high school from Plum. I have a passion for making sure kids are safe, and I just want to continue to work that I have done with that and help protect kids.”

Conley said Little is an excellent officer and works very well with youths.

“He has a good finger on the pulse of the community and juveniles in the school district,” Conley said. “He’s definitely the right man for the job, also. I think they’re the two right men for the jobs. They have a lot to bring to the department in their new positions. I look forward to many years working with them.”

Council also created the assistant chief position Monday night.

Schlegel said it’s an administrative role and not a union position such as lieutenant, which Conley was for years prior to becoming chief.

Plum has 27 full-time officers, including the chief, who said after the meeting that he’d like to add some more members to the force.