Decades of duty: West Deer Officer reports for retirement duty after 33 years

After serving the West Deer community for 33 years, police Officer Brian Dobson has retired from duty.

The 57-year-old got his start with West Deer as a part-time officer in 1988 before he went full time in 1993. He had a couple of stints with departments in Mars and Avalon.

He pursued becoming a police officer because of his dad. Dobson initially tried being a mechanic before deciding to attend Allegheny County Police Academy in 1987.

“My police work was very enjoyable over the years, especially in West Deer and getting to know the residents in this community,” he said.

During his time as an officer, he is most proud of his work as coordinator for the North Hills Task Force in 2012.

He noted the township’s development over the years.

“It has grown with a diverse community. … Lots of businesses and housing developments have developed in our area,” he said.

Police Chief Robert Loper described Dobson as a hard worker and said his contributions to the department will be missed. Loper worked with Dobson for 27 years.

“He contributed a lot that an average person in the community wouldn’t realize it would take to run a department,” Loper said.

He credited Dobson for his work with information technology to help update the policing systems and software, being a firearms instructor to create innovative drills for officers and being a Taser instructor.

When Loper learned of Dobson’s retirement, it was a bittersweet moment for him.

“I was happy for Brian. It is emotional. I was sad to see him go since I worked with him my entire career,” he said.

Dobson contemplated retirement early last year. Thinking of his age and the demands of the job, he decided it was time to transition to a new chapter of his life, in which he can spend more time with his grandchildren and family.

“I am going to miss the community and the people I have grown to know and help,” he said.

Dobson felt the love from the community when the West Deer Township Police Department posted about his retirement on Facebook on his last day. The post received 160 likes and more than 60 comments congratulating him. His last day was March 25.

“That really hit me, seeing all those people congratulating and thanking me for it,” he said. “It was very, very touching.”