Fox Chapel officials recently celebrated the end of an era in their police department.
Sgt. Jeffrey Clark called it a career this month after 27 years in the borough and about 30 years total in law enforcement.
He received a plaque with a badge encased in it, as well as congratulatory words May 18.
Several borough officials commended the departing officer, and meeting attendees gave him a thunderous round of applause.
“I wasn’t expecting all this,” said Clark, 54, of Buffalo Township. “This is amazing. This (plaque) looks beautiful. I’m so proud of my career here.
“We work with so many good people that I like to call friends now. So many good people work here, and it has meant a lot to me and my family that I’ve worked here over all these years. We can’t thank you enough for everything.”
Mayor Jonathan Colton ribbed Clark about being a Springdale Junior-Senior High School grad and having a Dynamo as an alma mater mascot instead of the Fox Chapel Area schools’ fox.
“Jeff proudly tells everyone about where he grew up and went to high school,” Colton said. “As kids, we don’t get to pick where we grow up. As a result, you don’t get to pick your high school mascot.”
Clark graduated from Springdale in 1989 and was part of that year’s championship WPIAL boys basketball team.
The mayor went on to thank Clark for his outstanding service, noting his fellow officers called him approachable, affable and friendly.
“Jeff was known as someone an officer, regardless of rank or experience, could always bounce ideas off of,” Colton said.
Police Chief Charles Ellis Watson thanked Clark for his professionalism and demeanor, noting he welcomed visits by the veteran officer.
Clark’s last day working was May 1. His retirement officially starts May 22.
Council President Andrew Bennett said it is fitting Clark’s retirement falls close to National Police Week from May 10-16 and Peace Officers Memorial Day on May 15.
“Just very appropriate with all this coming together,” Bennett said. “Jeff, I can’t tell you how much council says, ‘Thank-you.’ ”
Several other officers and Clark’s wife, Erika, also were at the meeting for support.
His wife said it is not easy being a police officer’s spouse.
“The schedule’s always really challenging,” said Erika Clark, married since September 1999. “That’s probably the biggest thing. Fox Chapel’s a pretty safe area, but you still never know. Very fortunate to (be a) police officer in a community like this as opposed to some others. The schedule’s rough with a young family.
“I’m really proud of him and the work that he did here and the relationships.”
Brief resume
Clark started his law enforcement career as a part-time Springdale patrolman in November 1996. He also had a part time stint in Springdale Township before joining Fox Chapel in January 1999. He became sergeant in August 2021.
Clark has no immediate family members in law enforcement.
He said he always wanted to help people and was inspired to become an officer following interactions with then part-time Springdale Patrolman Rick Toney. Toney worked for the borough in the late 1980s and went on to become a captain and chief in Harmar.
Clark and his friends would see Toney as they hung out in the high school parking lot and other places around town.
“He had an impact on me,” Clark said. “I always appreciated how he handled himself and how he treated us. He’d show up and check in on us and was real nice to us.”
Clark, who has a sociology degree and played basketball at University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, got into law enforcement through Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s Municipal Police Academy.
Times have changed
Clark said the biggest changes to law enforcement during his tenure has been the technology.
Computers, cameras, weapons and other tools have all evolved since the early 2000s.
But it hasn’t completely replaced old fashioned investigative police work.
“The job is still the same,” Clark said. “AI is coming. I’m not sure how that’s going to fit in the whole picture of things, but I’m sure technology’s not going to stop improving the job. … Technology is moving faster than my capabilities, that’s for sure.”
Retirement plans include taking a sales job with friends at Tarentum-based Pitt Specialty Supply. The company provides janitorial supplies as well as food service, facility management, packaging and more.
Clark said he looks forward to a more stable work schedule and implementing skills learned as an officer in another field.
“Police is the people business, and sales is the people business,” said Clark, a former ninth grade basketball coach for the Freeport Area School District.
Family interest
When not protecting and serving, Clark tunes up an acoustic guitar to play with his son, Vinnie, and his father and brother, both named Ron.
Their powers combine into the Family Tradition Band, a mix of country, rock and oldies.
“It’s like backyard party music,” Clark said. “Just good-time music. It’s one of my most special things. Music by itself means so much to us. We’ve had a lot of support by police officers coming to see us play.”
The Jeffrey and Vinnie acoustic duo is known as Campfire Clark.
Vinnie Clark, 23, is a West Virginia University graduate. His twin sisters, Madeline and Samantha, 24, are University of Pittsburgh grads.
Their mother said the Backyard Brawl is a frequent occurrence at the house.
Finding a replacement
Council to start May 18 finding Clark’s replacement.
They included authorizing the civil service commission to proceed with the hiring process for a new officer, advertise commission exams and designation of police consulting services to administer a written examination for a patrol officer’s position.
Clark’s departure leaves the Fox Chapel Police Department with 12 full-time officers, including the chief, and no part-timers.
Watson said he hopes to hire an experienced and qualified officer who fits well with the team.
A deadline for a new hire was not immediately set.