Retired Southwest Regional police chief looks back on illustrious career
Herald-Standard
Southwest Regional police Chief John Hartman stands outside the Belle Vernon headquarters of the policing agency in this file photo.
Hartman
John Hartman, longtime chief of Southwest Regional Police Department, has retired from his post. Hartman was the first chief of the regionalized force that covers communities in Fayette, Washington, Westmoreland and Greene counties.
Former Southwest Regional police chief John Hartman believes it takes a special calling to become a police officer.
“Whether you want to become a police officer or a firefighter or an EMT, you aren’t doing it for the money,” he said. “Because there are better ways to become a millionaire. When you enter law enforcement, you do it because you want to do something good for your community. I think one of the highest honors anyone can achieve is becoming a first responder. I’m happy that I chose to enter law enforcement. It was something I always wanted to do.”
Hartman, who retired last month, was chief of the Southwest Regional Police Department since it was founded in 2003. He played a key role in expanding a department that now provides coverage for Belle Vernon, Bentleyville, Coal Center, Cokeburg, Newell, Perry Township, Union Township and Wayne Township in Fayette, Washington, Westmoreland and Greene counties. The third largest police department in southwestern Pennsylvania, Southwest Regional also offers police services to the Neosolutions Plant in Newell.
Right from the beginning, it was clear that Hartman was the perfect fit for the newly formed police department. He previously worked as a licensed private investigator and a police officer for the North Franklin Township Police Department, was working as a part-time officer for the former Belle Vernon Police Department and completing his master’s degree at the University of Pittsburgh when former Belle Vernon mayor Jim Bitonti gave him a call.
“Mayor Bitonti told me that Belle Vernon was thinking of regionalizing its police force,” he recalls. “It just so happened that I was writing my capstone paper at Pitt about regionalization. I had some familiarity with the regionalization concept and already knew the Mon Valley. So, when Mayor Bitonti asked if I’d be interested in become the first police chief for Southwest Regional, I jumped at the chance.”
Hartman’s knowledge of regionalization helped the new department build a solid foundation, but he is quick to point out that regionalization isn’t the only answer.
“You can’t use a cookie cutter approach when forming a regionalized police department,” said Hartman. “It’s important to consider the needs and expectations of each community. Some communities start a regionalized police force because they don’t have the financial resources to do it alone. Other communities do it because they want to provide better overall services to their residents. Then there are other communities that can stand alone. You just have to find your comfort zone. For Belle Vernon and the other communities that are in Southwest Regional’s jurisdiction area, regionalization turned out to be a good move.”
During the course of his career, Hartman saw many changes taking place in the law enforcement field. He feels that police officers are facing more challenges than ever before.
“Police have to quickly adapt to rapidly changing situations,” he said. “You have to be nimble on your feet. Crime is becoming more violent, and the opioid crisis is much worse. At the end of the day, these are heroes who are being asked to do tough things that most people aren’t aware of. They don’t get accolades or parades in the street. They just try to do the best job possible. That’s why it’s important to thank police officers and other first responders for their dedicated service to the community.”
As he looks back on his long, illustrious career, Hartman is quick to thank all the people who worked with him over the years.
“I can’t say enough about the officers who served with me at Southwest Regional,” he said. “They were a great bunch of people and terrific officers. I also was fortunate to work with caring public officials, such as (Belle Vernon) Mayor Gerald Jackson. They go above and beyond to make our communities better places to live, work and play.”
Hartman added that Southwest Regional is in good hands with his replacement, Chief Keith Williams.
“Chief Williams is a tremendous guy,” said Hartman. “He’s a great people person who like to get out and interact with members of the community. And that’s what you need these days. It’s important for the public face of a police department to be friendly and approachable.”
When asked what he wants to do next with his life, Hartman laughed and remained noncommittal.
“Let’s just say I want to enjoy retirement,” he said. “It’s nice to sit back, take a break and enjoy the special memories.”