Pittsburgh Homicide Detective George Trosky is one tough cop. He settled on his career path watching his father don the uniform and head out into the streets. Young George began his own career as an Army MP in the 1970s.
In short order, after his honorable discharge, Trosky became a city police officer. After eight years of patrolling the Hill District, he joined the motorcycle unit -- a no-nonsense outfit that often was on the front lines of urban trouble.
It was near the end of the era when police responded to public mayhem by wading into battle and taking control with overwhelming force. And it was the beginning of what is now the ubiquitous use of video cameras that record every public and private event.
One cold night in the late '80s, Trosky was directing traffic at the Civic Arena, where the Grateful Dead was appearing. When trouble broke out as some fans tried to sneak into the concert, Trosky and all the available officers responded.
As Trosky was escorting an arrestee to a police wagon, he was videotaped by a news crew giving the guy a pretty healthy shot to the chops. The tape ran repeatedly on the news; Trosky later defended himself before a police trial board and the city administration lost the case. In spite of the videotape.
But that tape was used later by the city in its successful lobbying efforts to get police trial board reform in the state Legislature. And even these days, you can get a smile and a chuckle from Trosky if you refer to him as the moving force behind the reform legislation.
In a great postscript, Jerry Garcia -- the legendary leader of the Grateful Dead -- handpicked Trosky as his bodyguard the next time he played Pittsburgh. And not long after that final concert here, Jerry joined the heavenly choir and this Pittsburgh odd couple was no more.
But Trosky is no choirboy. There have been some missteps over the years -- a few compounded by inaccurate news reporting. It is typical of lives that are lived in the public eye. But Trosky has worked his chosen profession diligently.
He has received 15 commendation letters and been named Officer of the Month three times. And he has completed a full array of specialized training programs and has qualified to teach other officers a number of complex courses.
There is this peculiar constant in police work: The straight-ahead manner that can reflect unfavorably will lead that same officer to plunge headlong into danger when duty calls. And the personnel jackets of the best officers always include criticism along with the praise.
A few years ago, while taking an off-duty stroll Downtown, Trosky spotted a most-wanted bank robbery suspect casing his next bank. Armed only with his firearm and cell phone, Trosky knocked the suspect to the ground, held him there with one hand and dialed for assistance with his other hand. And he never drew his gun.
Now, Trosky is being considered for promotion to commander. He has the confidence of Chief Nate Harper, who is still building his own team to take back control of the streets. With violent crime up in Pittsburgh at twice the level that it is in the nation, Trosky's promotion would be a good thing.
You can disagree with Trosky or fault his tactics or parts of his past but when you call 911 because someone is breaking into your house in the middle of the night, you want what Jerry Garcia wanted.
You want to see George Trosky come rushing through your door.
