West Deer Police Chief Jon Lape set to retire, supervisors name Robert Loper to replace him

After 18 years, West Deer is getting a new chief of police.

Chief Jonathan Lape is retiring at the end of June, and the township supervisors have appointed Sgt. Robert Loper as the new chief.

“There are few people who will have as wide an impact as Chief Lape has,” said supervisors Chairman Arlind Karpuzi, as the supervisors approved Lape’s retirement at Wednesday’s meeting.

Lape has been with the department for 28 years, joining it as a full-time officer in 1993 and supervising it as its chief since 2003.

At the end of the meeting, an emotional Lape individually thanked the five supervisors, Township Manager Daniel Mator and Solicitor Gavin Robb for their help and support.

“It was an honor to serve with you all,” he said.

“We’re all very deeply grateful for your service and you will be missed,” said Supervisor Brandon Forbes.

Loper was hired on the recommendation of Lape after passing a written examination and the interviews required for the position.

“He’s been the heir apparent,” Mator said. “He has the respect of all the sergeants and the other officers, and he’s been the shop steward for the union.”

Loper, 51, who takes the department’s reins on July 1, has been with the department for 26 years. He was hired as a part-time officer and became a full-time patrolman in 2000. He was promoted to sergeant in 2017.

He will receive the same $100,580 salary as Lape, according to Mator.

Loper will direct a department that has grown from the one of seven full-time and four part-time officers Lape joined in 1993 to the current force of 14 full-time and six part-time officers.

Other changes in the ranks

The changes at the top also resulted in some moves by the supervisors in the lower ranks. Patrolman Robert Petrosky was promoted to fill the sergeant’s post that Loper held and part-time officer Trevor Elza was hired for the full-time patrolman’s position held by Petrosky.

“I know I have some really big shoes to fill,” Loper told the supervisors after they approved his appointment unanimously.

“We have complete confidence in you,” Supervisor Jennifer Mann said.

As he accepted congratulations from well-wishers after the meeting, Loper said he does not plan any big changes in the department’s operations. He said that, thanks to Lape, none are really needed.

“Jon set us up so well as a department with our own special services that we don’t have to rely on outside agencies for things,” Loper said.

For example, he said if there is a major criminal incident such as a sexual assault, many departments in Allegheny County seek assistance from the county police. But he said West Deer is able to handle those, as well as provide in-house training such as firearms instruction.

“We send officers to receive the training so we can do that,” Loper said.

“Jon ran a really good department.”