A pair of resignations and the retirement of a longtime officer have left New Kensington’s police force short-staffed.
City Council on Monday approved the retirement of Detective Sgt. Dino DiGiacobbe and the resignations of patrol Officers Jose Pantoja and Christian Leonarski.
A 1982 graduate of Freeport Area High School, DiGiacobbe, 58, has been a full-time police officer in New Kensington since 2002.
He previously was a part-time officer in Freeport for about 15 years after serving in the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division and worked for Allegheny Ludlum, now Allegheny Technologies Inc., as a maintenance department foreman.
Council members congratulated and thanked DiGiacobbe, who was not present at council’s meeting, for his years of service to the city.
“Dino was a very reliable officer for us for the last 20 years,” Councilman Tim DiMaio said.
“He needs some well-deserved time off,” Councilman Dante Cicconi said.
Councilman Todd Mentecki, who calls DiGiacobbe a friend, said he was hidden in the community because of his plainclothes work.
“The city is losing a great asset,” he said.
Mayor Tom Guzzo said DiGiacobbe handled many difficult cases. Police Chief Bob Deringer said that included juvenile cases and sex offenses.
“He did a lot of things for the city we really appreciate,” Guzzo said.
Replacements coming
Although the department is down officers and going into a time of year when vacations impact staffing, Mentecki encouraged residents in need to call 911. He said the city will hire more officers, but that it can be a four- to six-month process.
“It takes a while,” he said.
Council approved establishing an eligibility list for patrol sergeant and detective sergeant.
Deringer said Pantoja and Leonarski each left for jobs with other agencies closer to their homes.
Pantoja of Clay Township, Butler County, was hired in July 2019.
Leonarski, of North Apollo, was among three officers hired in October. Council in April commended Leonarski, Officer Jerry Hobeck and Assistant Fire Chief B.J. Kersey for their attempt to save Angel Gray from a house fire March 6. Gray did not survive.
Council approved hiring John Chessario and Robert Maloney as full-time desk personnel in the police department. Each will be paid $14 per hour.
