By Andrea Iglar For
Mike Kuchta, it was a typical day on the job with the South Fayette Township Police Department. Early in his 12-hour shift on a Thursday in September, Officer Kuchta was patrolling the central part of the township when he pulled up next to a man in a parked car. Winding down his window, Officer Kuchta asked, “You OK?” The guy was fine; he was an office employee eating lunch. But it was Officer Kuchta’s duty to stay observant and check on unusual situations to help ensure the safety of citizens. “Usually everyone’s just doing their thing,” Officer Kuchta said. “I’m not here to make their life miserable. I just want to make sure everything is OK.” Especially in the summertime, he frequently drives through the neighborhoods to wave to residents and say hello to the children. Such interactions are part of a normal day for a police officer. While every day isn’t exciting—one could argue it’s better when it is quiet—no shift is ever routine in a round-the-clock police department. “You really never know what you’re going to get,” Officer Kuchta said. “Anything can happen any time.”
Each shift starts with donning a uniform and as much as 15 pounds of
equipment. Officer Kuchta wears a belt and bulletproof vest that carry a radio, flashlight, pocketknife, taser, gun and ammunition, pepper spray, two pairs of handcuffs, tourniquets and rubber gloves. His SUV, a Ford Police Interceptor, contains additional supplies and tools, such as secured weapons, ballistic armor, a collapsible baton, extra handcuffs, a dog snare, an automated external defibrillator (AED) for heart issues, a first-aid kit and oxygen tank, Narcan to counteract overdoses, a blanket, caution tape, a fire extinguisher, flares and even teddy bears to cheer up children in crisis. While South Fayette is recognized as a safe community, officers need to be prepared for anything, said Officer Kuchta, who served in Wilkinsburg for two years before joining the South Fayette department 16 years ago. Officer Kuchta (pronounced COOK-tah) also is an emergency medical technician and CPR trainer. “Just because it’s South Fayette Township doesn’t mean crime doesn’t happen,” he said. The police vehicle’s backseat is designed to transport someone who has been arrested, while the front is equipped with technology that allows Officer Kuchta to use the car as a mobile office. During his morning patrol, Officer Kuchta heard ongoing dispatches from Allegheny County’s 9-1-1 center. Some were informational—an ambulance call for a nosebleed and a bulletin about a stolen car—while others prompted immediate action.
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A typical shift in t officer is anyth
Preparati Top Photo: South Fayette Township Police Officer Mike Kuchta is prepared for anything when he hits the road in his police SUV, which serves as a mobile office. Left: Officer Kuchta receives dispatches and information about regional police calls on a computer mounted in the front of his vehicle. Other technology includes a video recorder (above the rearview mirror) ▶ 14 |
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