Shenango’s new police chief sees the township as a great place to live and an area that has growth potential.

In fact, Chief Dave Tresky, 52, said it reminds him of the way Cranberry Township was 30 years ago.

A graduate of the municipal police academy at Indiana University, Tresky was one of nine officers on the Cranberry police force 27 years ago. It has 28 officers now.

“It was amazing to see the growth over the past 27 years,” Tresky said. “The best qualification I bring is that I went through that tremendous growth in a short time. When I started, we had mostly criminal mischiefs, then robberies, then more violent types of crime.”

He retired from the department as a corporal, having served with that rank as a shift supervisor for the preceding seven years. Tresky began his law enforcement career in McDonald, Washington County, before signing on in Cranberry, but he has always wanted to head a department, he said. When he heard of the Shenango opportunity, he applied.

Shenango supervisor Bob Peters said Tresky was one of 11 applicants for the post, left vacant by the retirement of police Chief Alan Nocera.

Peters said an advisory board of two retired state troopers, a retired district judge, two local businessmen and a concerned citizen reviewed the applications. The board recommended three candidates, whom the supervisors interviewed.

“He was the most qualified,” Peters said. “He’s very down to earth and fit the bill to a tee.”

He said Tresky wants to make a better police force and the board plans to grant his request to hire two more part-time officers, bringing the total force to 10 officers.

“I believe in training,” Tresky said. “We had a very highly rated training program and I want to bring that here.”

He praised the supervisors for being extremely helpful.

“He has a strong background in police work,” supervisor chairman Larry Herman said. “I think he will be a huge benefit to the township.”

Herman sees the Westinghouse plant being built in Cranberry and the racetrack/casino being developed in Mahoning Township as stimuli for potential commercial and residential growth in Shenango.

“We have a wonderful school district, a good county and lots of opportunity,” Herman said. “(Tresky) can help us change with fewer problems than (Cranberry) had.”

Tresky, a 1974 North Allegheny High School graduate who grew up in McCandless Township, said planning is key to handling the problems rapid growth can bring, such as an increase in traffic and inadequate roads.