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s e r v i n g tay l or , ol d f or g e , moosic & surrounding areas triborobanner.com | january 26, 2017
Scenes from the Lady Vikes’ tough loss to Mid Valley |pAGe 3
Old Forge High School student has some cross country wins |pAGe 4
High School student is a finalist in a notable art competition |pAGe 4
Meet the New Cops Taylor has promoted four officers to full time By Josh McAuliffe
sPeciAl To The TRiBoRo BANNeR The Taylor Police Department has undergone a fresh set of changes these past few months. Back in August, veteran officer Stephen A. Derenick was elevated to police chief following the retirement of Leonard Mickavicz Jr. Meanwhile, four part-time borough officers were recently promoted to full-time status: Brian Holland, Nicholas Snyder, Brandon Bell and Bryanna Gifford, who is the borough’s first full-time female police officer. Chief Derenick, meanwhile, is settling into his new role. The son of former Taylor Police Chief Stephen Derenick Jr., Chief Derenick celebrated his 29th year with the department in November. All told, he oversees a department of 20 police officers, seven of whom are full-time. “Right now I can sum it up as, so far, so good,” said Chief Derenick, 48, of his tenure. “I really have a good group of guys.” He said the adjustment has been pretty seamless, given his familiarity with the department and the fact that he’s gotten a lot of help from department vet-
TS_CNG/TRIBORO/PAGES [T01] | 01/25/17
From left: Officer Brian Holland, Officer Nicholas Snyder, Mayor Theodore Praschak, Chief Stephen A. Derenick, Officer Bryanna Gifford and Officer Brandon Bell
erans like Sgt. William Roche, who Chief Derenick called “a wealth of information.” There have been challenges, he said, like the recent retirement of four longtime officers, among them Chief Mickavicz, which led to the promotion of officers Holland, Snyder, Gifford and Bell. However, the fact that they had already been serving the borough made the transition that much easier, said Chief Derenick. “They’re a great group. Very knowledgeable,” Chief Derenick said. “When the four retired, they all stepped up to the plate and put in extra shifts. They were essentially working full-time for us before it was official.” Chief Derenick said the new officers’ skill sets will be integral as he continues to make enhancements to the department. No doubt, the chief has witnessed his fair share of changes over his nearly three decades with the department.
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“When I first came into the department, if it was a complicated case, anything with a lot of investigation, you would call in the state police,” he said. “That’s all changed. Now, we handle everything from parking tickets to homicides.” Indeed, today borough police handle a multitude of calls throughout their shifts, from domestic disturbances to drug arrests. “With the drugs, that leads to other crimes. You see your burglaries, robberies and even car accidents,” Chief Derenick said. “Lots of big arrests. And the officers are well trained for it.” Recently, Chief Derenick applied for a grant for new computers. And, the department recently acquired four “go bags” filled with first aid supplies, extra ammunition, strobe lights, doorjambs and other equipment needed in the event of an active shooter situation.
“I never thought when I started you would see the things we have today. Just the equipment alone,” he said. “I’m just trying to keep up with the times.” In addition, he would eventually like to re-implement the borough bike patrol, and beef up the department’s motor carrier enforcement by having one of the officers certified as a truck inspector. Right now, the borough relies on Scranton and state police for those services. Chief Derenick is grateful that the department is a tight-knit unit — “a team,” as he refers to it — and that borough officials have the department’s best interests in mind. “You hear horror stories from other departments. But the council in Taylor, they back the police department. They never deny us,” he said. “They know public safety is a priority.”