If Arnold’s new police chief looks familiar to city residents, there are a couple of reasons why.
One is that newly hired Chief Josh Stanga worked as a city police officer in the past.
The other is that he might be their neighbor.
Talking to the crowd of residents at Tuesday’s council meeting after he was hired by a unanimous vote, Stanga said: “It’s good to be back, but I never really left. I still live here.”
Stanga, 41, is a 12-year veteran policeman. He was a full-time Arnold officer from 2015 to 2017 when he left to work in the Wilkinsburg Police Department. He was there up until now, working as an officer in the K-9 unit for four years and later a patrol supervisor.
He succeeds Eric Doutt who resigned Jan. 1 just before incoming Mayor Shannon Santucci announced her intention to demote him to patrolman and hire a new chief.
Stanga was hired at a salary of $82,000 per the police contract, the mayor said.
Santucci, the city’s first female police chief, had immediately preceded Doutt, leading the department in 2015 and 2016. But she was demoted when the new mayor, Karen Peconi Biricocchi, took office in 2017. Santucci retired in 2018.
Council unanimously appointed Patrolman Rob Haus as interim police chief at its meeting Jan. 2. Santucci said at the time she planned to name a new chief by the February council meeting.
Asked why Stanga was her choice for the job, Santucci said it was all about relating to the community.
“When I was the chief, he was my first hire,” Santucci said. “And having worked with him and seeing how good he was with the community — he is very respectful to everyone. He is a very hard worker. He is just a very good police officer.”
“I’m from here. I live here. I’m always up for challenges,” Stanga said when asked about his return. “I see this community every day. I thought it was a good opportunity, and I took it.”
He said his immediate focus will be on increasing manpower in the department. It’s now down to five full-time and one part-time officer, as an officer resigned Tuesday to work for another department.
Another concern is the officers’ wages.
“These guys need to get paid for what they do,” Stanga said, noting the department’s starting salary is $44,000. “You’re not going to attract anyone with that.”
Santucci agreed. She said the city spent $245,000 last year because of short-staffing and cannot afford to keep doing that.
She and Stanga are concerned about the adverse effect of working multiple shifts on the officers’ family lives.
Stanga said he aims to keep an open line of communication with the officers working under his leadership and with council.
“We’re all here to serve the city, and that’s what I hope to do well,” he said.
A 2001 Kiski Area High School graduate, Stanga entered the military after high school, serving first with the Marine Corps and later as a military policeman with the Army. His nine and a half years in the military included a tour of duty in Iraq.
Stanga graduated from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania Police Academy in 2011. He began his police career in 2012 as a part-time officer in Ford City and also worked as a part-time officer in Manor Township.
Stanga became a full-time officer with the Armstrong County Sheriff’s Department in 2013, serving on the county’s Narcotics Enforcement Team.
From there, he obtained a full-time position with the Aliquippa Police Department, where he attained the rank of patrol sergeant before moving to Arnold in 2015.