Iwin police chief resigns; acting chief named

Irwin council named a veteran police officer as the borough’s acting chief after the chief of seven years resigned last month.

Chief Roger Pivirotto’s resignation was effective Aug. 20, but he will remain an employee until Dec. 2, Shari Martino, borough manager, said Wednesday. Council accepted Pivirotto’s resignation on Sept. 1.

Sgt. Daniel Wensel, who has served 20 years on Irwin’s police department and was a police officer in McKeesport for five years, was named the acting chief by borough council. He said he is interested in becoming the borough’s next police chief.

As of now, Wensel said he wants “to get our officers out in the community a little bit more … getting to know the folks.”

Borough officials want to see the officers in the business community, talking to the owners, “just to make the community feel safer as a whole,” Wensel said.

Council President Rick Burdelski said following the council meeting the borough will go through a process in which it will see how Wensel handles the job. In the event the borough promotes Wensel, council has started the process for conducting a civil service test for a police officer, Burdelski said.

Wensel will receive a 3% raise while serving as acting chief, Martino said.

Wensel said he served previously as acting chieffor when former chief Joseph Pocsatko was placed on administrative leave in December 2012. Council accepted Pocsatko’s resignation in February 2013 and Pivirotto was hired in October 2013.

Pivirotto, a former state police lieutenant who worked for the state police for 25 years, could not be reached for comment. He was a member of the Special Emergency Response tactical team and trained with the FBI. He was to receive a salary of about $65,000 this year.

“I will miss Chief Pivirotto’s leadership and expertise as a law enforcement officer. I’ve seen firsthand that, under his direction and leadership, our police officers were trained to exhibit and maintain a level of professionalism worthy of a (police officer’s) badge,” Hawley said.