Richland Township has a new police chief.
The Richland Township Board of Supervisors unanimously promoted Capt. Richard Pollino Monday to head the township’s 22-person full-time police department, effective Jan. 1.
Pollino will succeed Chief Michael Burgan, who will retire at the end of December. Burgan has served the department for 38 years, including the past 12 years as chief.
“I know the department is in good hands,” Burgan told supervisors. “I can now leave knowing that the department will provide high-quality services to the community. I wanted to leave the department feeling better.
“That’s a legacy you always want to leave behind.”
More than a dozen Richland Township police officers and several members of the public showed their support for Pollino by attending Monday’s supervisors meeting at the township’s municipal building, 322 Schoolhouse Drive.
“The incoming Chief Pollino has done a great job, thanks of course to those who attended,” said Robert Heffelfinger Jr., chairman of the supervisors. “I have worked with him on a professional level, as a former municipal fire chief. He certainly deserves the promotion. And it goes without saying that our current chef is phenomenal. We will miss him.”
Heffelfinger said the county is “blessed with one of the best police departments in Pennsylvania.”
Pollino will become the fifth police chief in the history of the department, which was founded in 1958, Burgan said.
“That says a lot,” he said.
Burgan thanked supervisors for their support throughout his career. He started as a police officer in 1986, was promoted and became chief in 2012.
Throughout his career, Burgan has worked in virtually every aspect of police work: patrols, investigations, drug task forces and the Special Emergency Response Team.
After the meeting, a young officer, Jared Shank, praised Burgan for his retirement and Pollino for his promotion.
“I was able to experience Chief Burgan’s leadership and see how a department should be run,” Shank said. “We work with a lot of good men at this agency, and Burgan is passing the torch to a great man who has achieved great success in his career. Simply put: (Pollino) is a police officer. Many people in the department and in the community look up to him. I feel I speak on behalf of the department when I say that we are all very excited about this new chapter and about the Police Department led by Chief Pollino.
Russ O’Reilly is a reporter for The Tribune-Democrat. Follow him on Twitter @RussellOReilly.
