MAHANOY CITY - The borough council appointed Lt. John C. Kaczmarczyk as Mahanoy City's new chief of police during Tuesday's monthly meeting.
Kaczmarczyk, 46, who regularly attends the council meetings, was on hand when the council voted 6-0 on his promotion on a motion and was seconded by Councilmen Thomas Flamini and Scott Kline, respectively. The vote was immediately followed by a round of applause from residents who filled the room.
"We're going to act on the chief of police tonight," Flamini said before the vote. "We have worked together diligently trying to find the best man or woman for the position. For 24 years of service, and because we've been seeing some great things going on over there (in the department), I'm going to make the motion to make John Kaczmarczyk the chief of the Mahanoy City Police Department."
The promotion was effective immediately after the roll call vote. Council Vice President Raymond Cavenas asked all officers of the police department to enter the meeting room. As they entered, all officers were in uniform and they individually congratulated Kaczmarczyk, who introduced each officer to the residents.
A U.S. Army veteran, Kaczmarczyk has served as a full-time Mahanoy City police officer for 24 years. He has also served as a part-time officer in local communities.
Since January, Kaczmarczyk has served as officer-in-charge due to the retirement of former Chief Mark J. Wiekrykas, who has been on the borough police force for 25 years. Wiekrykas had been police chief for 15 years.
Kaczmarczyk said after the meeting he will continue what he and his officers have been doing.
"Again, we've been hitting the drug problem hard and we want to continue on with that," Kaczmarczyk said. "Drugs are a lot of our problems. The residents bring up about blight, and in some cases it's drug use that is the reason that copper is being ripped out of these buildings and destroying them. That's why we've been focusing on that and trying to clean up some of that problem."
Kaczmarczyk added, "We also want to do more public outreach in the community, especially down at the school."
According to Kaczmarczyk, the borough police force has seven officers: three full-time and four part-time. The second-in-command is Cpl. Michael Dissinger.
When the meeting ended, residents stopped to individually congratulate Kaczmarczyk on his promotion. One very special person, his mother, Patricia Kaczmarczyk, not only congratulated her son, but also proudly pinned the chief's badge on his chest. The last time she pinned a badge on him was 24 years ago when he became a member of the borough police department.
"I am so very proud of him. Very proud," Patricia Kaczmarczyk said.
When asked if he always wanted to be a police officer, she said, "I don't think so."
"She pushed me into it," the new chief said with a smile.
"I was working for the borough at the time and there was a position open," Patricia Kaczmarczyk said. "He had just gotten out of the military, and I said you should go for it and he did."