Martin's retirement opens way for kid next door
When Tony Martin first became a policeman with Scottdale Borough in 1968, his next-door neighbor, a high school freshman, was fascinated with his occupation. Mickey Thomas would wait on the curb for Martin to return from his shift every day armed with an interrogation about not only the department, but police work in general.
"Between the street and the front door there were a thousand questions," Martin joked.
Martin anticipated that Thomas would one day become a police officer, but he never realized Thomas would be chosen as his replacement as the chief of police in Scottdale.
After 34 years of service to the Scottdale police force, with 11 as chief of police, Martin, 55, took off his badge for the final time April 26.
Borough manager Barry Whoric said the Civil Service Commission was asked to review the qualifications of the assistant chief of police, Mickey Thomas. As anticipated, borough council named Thomas as chief at its May 13 meeting.
Martin, a lifetime resident of Scottdale, can't remember a time when he didn't want to be a police officer. In August 1968, he began his career in Scottdale. By 1980 he was assistant police chief under Ralph Rich and, in 1991, replaced Rich as the chief. For Martin, becoming chief "was never really a goal, but after working a job for so long there is a time you'd like to run your own ship."
Martin turned down an opportunity to work for the City of Pittsburgh in 1968 in order to remain in his hometown and to raise a family. Martin doesn't deny that there are benefits to a larger department — different fields are available whereas in a smaller department officers are often considered a "jack of all trades" — but, having taken two brief hiatuses from the Scottdale force, Martin realized that, for him, it was the only place to work.
In 1970, Martin was laid off from the Scottdale police department, but when he was called back he chose to leave the state prison in Greensburg, where he had been working for nearly three years. There was only one other time in his lengthy career when he considered doing something else. In 1978 he was hired at the Volkswagen assembly plant and, with the help of then-mayor Frederick Eberharter, he was granted a leave of absence from the force to try something different. In the end, he chose to remain a police officer.
Martin praised Rich for his leadership skills.
"He became chief in 1973 and made so many changes here. He made it nice to come to work," Martin said.
Martin's first case with the department was a burglary that he worked with Rich, who was a patrolman at the time. The investigation into stolen guns and jewelry led them to Somerset County with search warrants. Eventually, they found the missing items and made an arrest.
During his time as chief, Martin also developed a way of motivating and watching over his officers. "I let the men go at their own pace. They were trained, qualified to do the job. I let them handle the cases as they saw fit, and they were always free to come to me with any problems," he said. His only criterion was that the men "go home to their family at the end of the day."
Martin's own family, including his wife, Dorie, son Dennis, 36, and daughter Dawn, 28, often struggled with the realities of his career. According to Martin, "I missed everything." Between the holidays, events with his kids, ball games and confirmations, Martin's work schedule left a lot for his wife to handle.
"This was the profession that I picked and I knew what was involved and I knew it would be time-consuming, but I didn't realize it would be that much," he said.
In between work and family, Martin managed to find the time to complete a two-year degree at Indiana University of Pennsylvania in criminology and work as Cub master of Cub Scout Pack 155 in Scottdale from 1974 to 1978.
Martin was also honored numerous times for his work in law enforcement. He received the American Law Enforcement Officers Association's Silver Star for Bravery in 1978 and the American Police Hall of Fame Merit Award for Excellent Arrest in 1988.
Martin was well-liked within the department and the administration.
"It was always an open, trusting relationship," Whoric said of the borough's affiliation with Martin.
Barry Dunn, a police officer with the Scottdale force for 22 years, said that Martin was a great guy to work with.
"Tony always had time to listen, no matter what it was, if you had a situation on or off the job. What I liked about Tony was he didn't give you a rush answer. He always deliberated first, and he was usually right," Dunn said.
The requirements for retirement are 25 years of service and being at least 55 years old. With 34 years in, all Martin was waiting for was his age. "It was just time to move on," he said.
He has other plans for his future. He has invested in four rental properties in the area and there are several projects he's been putting off that he anticipates will keep him busy throughout the summer. He would also like to travel, fish and ride his Honda Goldwing motorcycle.
"This wasn't a decision I made overnight. I had a goal set to retire at this time," he said.
