Politics & Government

Dormont Interim Chief Believes He Can Still Contribute

Richard Dwyer said police department control issues aren't unique to Dormont.

UPDATES with comment from Russ McKibben, Dormont's former chief, and Mayor Tom Lloyd.

Dormont’s interim police chief he believes he still has something to contribute.

Besides, “retirement gets old after a while,” Richard Dwyer said Tuesday.

Find out what's happening in Dormont-Brooklinewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Dwyer, 65, spent two years as Wilkinsburg’s chief of police and another 12 years as a Pittsburgh lieutenant in his 36-year law enforcement career. He’s taught at the Allegheny County Police Academy and is a member of the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association.

Problems such as those in Dormont concerning who is in control of the police are not uncommon in Pennsylvania, he said.

Find out what's happening in Dormont-Brooklinewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“A lot of police chiefs have a problem with that there’s not a clear line of authority within a lot of government structures,” he said. “Some mayors are very strong and they want to control the police department and other mayors let a professional police officer handle the department. I think that’s where a lot of problems arise. The lines aren’t clearly defined.”

Mayor Tom Lloyd and Dwyer met on Tuesday.

"We had a good conversation. I think we see eye to eye more than people might think we would," he said.

The borough hired Dwyer at $5,500 a month to help ease tensions between the borough police department and administration. He’ll also help search for a permanent chief.

“The police department has rules and regulations, it has a certain structure and I’m going to insure that the job gets done for the citizens of Dormont in compliance with what the council and borough manager have asked me to do,” he said.

Dwyer was one of several candidates recommended by Bill Gamble, who has consulted with other Pittsburgh-area municipalities on police matters.

Dwyer said he did not know Manager Gino Rizza or any council members before being interviewed for the position.

But Russ McKibben, the borough's former police chief, said he's known Dwyer a long time and described him as a "class act."

Dwyer lives on the North Side. Both of his sons are police officers. He has six grandchildren.

Dwyer said he graduated from Duquesne University with a degree in chemistry and biology. He planned to become a teacher, but said he became attracted to police work while working as a part-time officer in Edgewood Borough in the late 1960s. In 1968, police positions began opening in Pittsburgh and he joined the force.

Dwyer said one of his proudest accomplishments was graduating from the FBI Academy in Quantico, Va., when he was about 42 years old.

While there, he said, he studied media, management and budgeting.

“It’s a rigorous 12-week program, physical, and mental … The good thing about it is you network with police officers from all over the world,” he said. “Since I’ve left there, I’ve stayed in touch with a core of about 25 officers that, 20 years later, I’m still in touch with.”

Several of his friends through the academy, he said, are chiefs who retired, but like him have decided to return to work.

"You have all the knowledge and you  see the need for professionals to stay involved," he said.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here