Springdale Police Chief George Polnar to retire

Becoming a police officer was a lifelong dream for George Polnar, and now, after dedicating 35 years of service, he’s ready to step away from it.

Growing up, Polnar was inspired by his uncle, who was a sergeant with the Monroeville Police Department. He admired the uniform and looked up to his uncle.

“My first grade teacher asked the class what we wanted to be, and I said a policeman,” Polnar said.

He worked toward his dream by joining Monroeville Volunteer Fire Department No. 1 in February 1974. But Polnar was the victim of a near-fatal accident while responding to a fire that August that resulted in doctors telling Polnar he wouldn’t be able to become a police officer.

So he went to Penn Technical Institute and eventually landed an opportunity to work for Intel Corp. in California. But he declined the offer because he wanted to stay in Monroeville.

While fueling one of the firetrucks one day, he ran into a police officer who told him the department was hiring.

“He said, ‘Didn’t you always want to be a policeman?’ ” Polnar said.

After checking with his doctors, Polnar was cleared to apply. He joined the Monroeville Police Department in 1979, working his way up the ranks.

He was with the department for 3½ years before initially retiring at 52. While teaching at Point Park University and the Community College of Allegheny County, he realized how much he missed the police force. Polnar said it felt too early to turn in his badge.

“I missed the job every single day,” Polnar said. “I just loved being a police officer.”

A job opening to work for the Springdale Police Department brought him back in 2018. He said he enjoyed his time helping the Springdale community, calling it a fantastic town.

Now, after three years of being in Springdale, Polnar is ready to retire for good, saying he has accepted a full-time position as a grandfather.

“I missed so many years with my girls growing up, so now perhaps I can make up some of those years through our grandchildren,” he said.

Polnar’s last day will be June 20.