Monongahela promotes 2 police officers to sergeant

Officers Stephen Kenyon and Thomas McCarthy were promoted.

Monongahela promoted two of its police officers to sergeant during Wednesday’s council meeting.

Council voted unanimously to authorize the promotions of Stephen Kenyon and Thomas McCarthy, bringing the total number of sergeants in the department to three.

By adding two sergeants to the department, Monongahela police will be able to provide better support to the community and streamline some of the department’s procedural requirements, according to police Chief Kevin Harris.

The department will now have enough sergeants to assign one each to the afternoon and midnight shifts.

“When a community member has a concern or they’re not satisfied with a patrolman’s decision on whether it be a call, traffic stop or something else, they typically ask for a supervisor. Nine times out of 10 obviously with only patrolmen, there’s none available,” Harris said. “It does give that ability to have a supervisor on shift.”

Kenyon and Thomas will still be tasked with handling their own calls in addition to overseeing patrolmen’s calls.

The newly promoted sergeants will also ensure department paperwork and other requirements are completed each shift.

Harris used domestic calls as an example, explaining that the department is required by the state to provide certain information to any victims involved in such incidents.

“We document it through a reporting system, but now we have someone that can do checks and balances shift to shift instead of day to day or after the weekend,” Harris said.

Harris recommended Kenyon and Thomas to council for the promotions.

Kenyon, who has 35 years of law enforcement experience, joined Mon City’s department in 2006. He previously served as Fallowfield Township’s police chief and currently works as a part-time sergeant for North Belle Vernon.

McCarthy, who has 14 years of law enforcement experience, currently serves as a Washington County SWAT team leader within Monongahela’s police force. He previously served as an acting chief and K-9 handler for the California Borough Police Department.

Harris said the promotions will cost the city less than $1,000 in total for the year.

“This doesn’t involve a whole lot of cost to the city,” Mayor Greg Garry said.

Library proclamation

Also Wednesday, Garry presented a proclamation to Monongahela Area Library Director Amanda Gabeletto, encouraging residents to visit the library during National Library Week April 6-12.

Gabeletto thanked the city for the proclamation.

“Reading that proclamation almost brought me to tears, but the library is so important to all of us here in this community, and I just really appreciate your support very much,” Gabeletto said.