McKeesport police hold community event

The purpose was to familiarize city residents with some of the newer members of the force.

By THOMAS LETURGEY
For the MVI

More than 30 McKeesport police officers, Chief Josh Alfer, Mayor Thomas Maglicco and others met with city residents Saturday afternoon at Jacob Wall Pavilion in Renziehausen Park as part of a new focus on community policing.

Longtime McKeesport resident Keenon Mikell appreciated the opportunity to talk with the officers. He has officers in his extended family, so he’s familiar with law enforcement.

“But there was a time when community members, especially people of color, didn’t feel as comfortable being in events with police officers, the force, or trust them,” Mikell said. However, he believes “that over the last two administrations, with Michael Cherepko and now with Tommy (Maglicco), the transparency of the police force, with the community being able to speak with officers who are more community oriented. I love it.”

“Over the past year, we focused on rebranding the department,” Alford added. “Over recent history, we’ve been successful at it and want to continue this mission and focus on the community engagement and community relations along with keeping our officers, focused on proactive policing towards protecting this community and engaging with the people who want to be positive and help this community succeed and grow.

“I would love to see crime continue to go down by proactive policing, continuing support from the community and engagement and focus on cleaning up the city, to have it move in a positive, forward direction with our new mayor.”

Alford made his way around the room, talking with LuEthel Nesbit, vice president of McKeesport City Council, and Education Chair of the McKeesport Chapter of the NAACP, and others.

Maglicco was quick to point out that in addition to his new position and Alford before him, McKeesport has a new fire chief, recreation director and city manager.

“There’s a lot of ‘new,’” he said. “I’m all about the community. I’ve done that since I was a teenager and a young man. And now as a father raising my son in the community, I am a big proponent of bringing the community together, as I did with my years at a youth club. These are the types of things that we have to do to be interactive, to break those barriers, and neighbors not knowing one another.”

The mayor believes these types of events can bring communities together “so they can watch out for one another.”

He hopes communication at events like this can extend to working with the local chapter of the NAACP. He points to a police vs. fire department flag football game scheduled for fall.

As a child, he remembers approaching police officers who had baseball card with their own likeness. The kids would have them sign the cards and then would trade them. He would like to see something wholesome like that happen again.

McKeesport’s police department has added about 20 officers since 2023, and Alford believes this was a great chance for residents to get to meet the new faces on the force.

Among them is Ronnell Hunt, who has been with McKeesport for nearly four months. Like many of the others, Hunt attended the community meeting on his free time. He spoke enthusiastically about the position, the city and his fellow officers and engaged with several members of the community.

Capt. Nick Matthews and Assistant Chief Sidney Summers, who were appointed to their current ranks late last year, were also among those on hand to welcome residents.

Also among those in blue was Gavin DeVerse, 19, the son of Glassport’s Police Chief Shawn DeVerse. The younger DeVerse, who will graduate from the police academy in June, is set to join McKeesport’s police department to gain “experience” in the city.

Lt. Josh Byers, who has been with the department for 10 years and a police officer for 17 years, said it was “good to talk to the community that we have never met before, interact with everyone.”

Officer Eli Tubin brought the department’s three-and-a-half-yearold K-9 officer, Moxie, to meet with those in attendance.

In the first hour of the meet and greet, residents stood alongside police officers, looked through a vending table of trinkets and keepsakes and snacked on pizza, coffee and bottled water. There were raffle tickets for small gifts for attendees, and police took photos with residents who ranged in age from children to senior citizens.

“I’m excited. I’m excited to put a man and face together for all our officers,” said Jessica Johnson, treasurer of the local chapter of the NAACP. We have somebody who’s in the academy (DeVerse). That’s exciting to see, because I know we have been a little short staffed in the past, so it’s good to see some new recruits.”

Mikell was disappointed that more residents didn’t attend, but hopes that more events like this will take place in the future. He wants to see officials tour some of the city’s 12 wards and perhaps host a similar event in one of the areas where “the people are less likely to speak to the police, the projects and make it an open forum there as well to try to break the stigma of law enforcement versus the residents.”