Former Monessen police chief honored, settling into new job
John Mandarino likes to get out of his comfort zone and explore new challenges. When the former Monessen police chief started a new job as a Westmoreland County detective, he quickly rediscovered some police skills that he hadn’t practiced in a long time.
“It was like starting my first day at school all over again,” said Mandarino, who joined the Westmoreland County Detectives Bureau on February 1. “It’s been some time since I handled investigations, so I had to get up to speed again. But I realized I missed that side of police work. I’m excited about making a contribution as a detective.”
Mandarino, a 30-year veteran of the Monessen Police Department, who retired as police chief on Jan. 31, was honored last Thursday at the Monessen council meeting. Monessen Mayor Matthew Shorraw, along with representatives from the offices of U.S. Representative William Shuster and Pennsylvania State Representative Justin Walsh, thanked Mandarino for the lasting legacy he made on the City of Monessen and its police force.
“Chief Mandarino went above and beyond the call of duty throughout his career and helped to eliminate many drug dealers and buyers from the City of Monessen,” said Shorraw. “We thank him for his many years of service in this difficult field.”
In his new job, Mandarino will primarily investigate crimes against children and child abuse but he will also handle other cases from time to time.
“I’m going to be dealing with many of the same problems, but now it will be on a countywide level,” he said. “Even though I’ll be working out of Greensburg, I will still be serving the people of Monessen, as well as other residents of Westmoreland County.”
A 1984 graduate of the former Mon Valley Catholic High School, Mandarino went on to earn an associate’s degree at Westmoreland County Community College. It was at WCCC that Mandarino made a decision that made a profound difference in his life and on the lives of many other people.
“I remember meeting with the guidance counselor to talk about some career options,” said Mandarino. “When he asked me what I wanted to do with my life, I replied that I just wanted to get a good job. The counselor told me I couldn’t go wrong with a career in law enforcement or nursing. I chose the police field and never regretted making that decision.”
Mandarino was hired by the Monessen Police Department as a part-time officer in 1988 and quickly worked his way up the ranks. After becoming a full-time patrolman, Mandarino was promoted to sergeant, detective/sergeant, lieutenant and detective/lieutenant. Mandarino was then promoted to police chief five years ago.
“A police chief is only as good as the people working for him,” said Mandarino. “I was fortunate to have such a great group of officers and other staff. We had to deal with some big challenges. Monessen is the third busiest city in Westmoreland County for criminal arrests. We only have 10 full-time officers on the force and we had a lot of ground to cover. But everyone worked together to keep our city safe. Monessen is in good hands with Chief James Smith. He is a great police officer and he will do fine.”
One of Mandarino’s proudest accomplishments was instituting the use of surveillance cameras throughout Monessen. He believes the cameras have been a game changer for the city.
“The cameras are like having another officer on each street corner,” he said. “They have been a tremendous asset for the department.”
Mandarino added that Monessen now has 80 street cameras, some of which are visible and others are hidden. Each day, the Monessen Police Department reviews both recorded and live footage.
“The surveillance system has helped us to solve cases such as shootings, arson, home invasions and accidents,” he said. “It has definitely helped our community to fight crime. The cameras are worth every cent we have spent on them.”
Under Madarino’s watch, Monessen became the first police department in Westmoreland County to become certified in the use of NARCAN.
“Our department must have used NARCAN hundreds of times, and it helped to save many lives,” he said. “Unfortunately, the opioid crisis isn’t going away anytime soon. This problem will get worse before it gets better.”
Mandarino also has fond memories of the relationships he built with the residents of Monessen.
“One of the advantages of living in a small town is getting to know its people,” he said. “I think our department has developed a great relationship with Monessen’s residents because we treat each individual as a person. We always did our best to be fair with the residents.”
When he is off duty, Mandarino enjoys spending time with his wife, Kelly and son, Gianni. He also likes to read and ride his side-by-side four-wheeler vehicle in the woods. In addition, Mandarino is close to finishing his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice at California University of Pennsylvania.
Mandarino, who still lives in Monessen with his family, said that he will never forget the impact his hometown has made on his life.
“I care about the city a lot,” he said. “And want to continue to find ways to keep my fellow residents safe.”