NEW BETHLEHEM, Pa. by: John Gerow (RVO) – You might overlook New Bethlehem’s New Chief of Police in a crowded room. Chief Robert “Bob” Malnofsky doesn’t make a lot of noise or draw attention to himself. He is a quiet, unassuming man; until he starts talking about police work. It does not take long for one to realize that “Chief Bob” is knowledgeable about police work, competent in his policing skills, and passionate about serving the public. Although his nearly 30 years of police work has been spent in small town, rural Pennsylvania, he has some ideas that are extremely cosmopolitan and speak of a very sophisticated vision of the role and place of police in modern America. Chief Malnofsky generously took an hour of his time this week to share some of his thoughts and ideas with RedbankValley.org and our readers.

New Bethlehem Police Chief Robert Malnofsky (Chief Bob) *Photo courtesy of the Leader-Vindicator

Chief Malnofsky grew up in Southern Indiana County here in Pennsylvania. After graduating from high school, he attended the Police Academy at Johnstown and soon after began his 27-year career in rural, small-town police work. In those 27 years, Chief Malnofsky has served as Chief of Police in Bolivar and Seward in rural Northern Westmoreland counties. His has been a “hand’s on”, “school of hard knocks” learning by doing career. He brings the experiences from these nearly 30 years to bear on his new posting here in New Bethlehem. Chief Malnofsky is married and has two grown children.

When asked what he saw as his biggest challenges, Chief Malnofsky surprised this interviewer by saying that retaining officers and becoming a competitive employer may be the biggest challenge that he is facing. He said that it is time-consuming and expensive to train an officer. In his opinion, it takes a year or more for a new officer to become comfortable and competent in his position. It is expensive, he says, and non-productive to serve as a training organization for larger, better-paying jurisdictions. Chief Malnofsky said that it is important for the Southern Clarion County Regional Poice Department to develop a stable, long-term force in order to provide the service that he thinks the citizens deserve.

Police Chief Robert Malnofsky (aka Chief Bob) visited the Redbank Valley Chamber of Commerce in New Bethlehem PA *Photo courtesy of TechReady Professionals

Policing a far-flung jurisdiction that spans two counties is also a challenge that any Police Chief here in New Bethlehem would have to deal with. It is a big stretch of country from the Southern end of Redbank Township in Armstrong County to Brady’s Bend in Western Clarion County. There are untold miles of back roads, rough mountainous terrain, and rivers and creeks galore. While it may be the outdoorsman’s paradise, it is not the easiest country in the world to patrol. The expanse of territory makes policing in this “small town” department, similar to working as a State Trooper; lot’s of miles, not a lot of positive, constructive interaction with the public. Also, like the State Police, Chief Malnofsky and his team have to deal with court systems in two counties that are very different in structure. It is a steep learning curve, learning the roads and navigating the different courts.

In response to RVO’s question about his management philosophy, Chief did not hesitate’ “I will never ask an officer to do anything that I would not do myself.” He said that there has to be a strong measure of trust between the Chief and the officers, between the department and the public, and between the department and the borough council. His approach to management is training, providing the best equipment possible and trusting his officers to do their jobs. Chief stressed the need for the community and the police to develop a positive, trusting, mutually respectful relationship. The role of the police is to help provide a stable, safe environment for people in the area. The police, any police department, needs the cooperation, the support, and the trust of the community. He said, “The public has to be our eyes and ears. We can’t be everywhere, all the time.” It takes mutual respect to build this kind of trust he said. Chief also pointed out that whether it is a small department or a large police department the need for community involvement, and the respect and trust with the community is crucial for good policing.

New Bethlehem Police Chief Robert Malnofsky (Chief Bob) speaks with New Bethlehem Fire Company Members *Photo courtesy of TechReady Professionals

Looking ahead, Chief Malnofsky said that developing a complete officer staff is his first priority. Considering the size of the region, he said that there truly needs to be 2 officers on duty for each shift. With only 5 officers currently on the roster, he said that there is work to be done! Compounding the shortage of officers, long time secretary Stacy Delph has recently left the Department for a new career opportunity. There hasn’t been an easy “break – in” period for the new chief. It was “jump right in and start swimming.” He said that the Pennsylvania State Police have been very helpful in these early days and that he really appreciates them. Another goal of the Chief’s is to eventually create a Field Training Officer position to train new recruits and provide training updates for officers as needed.

As soon as his staffing issues are resolved, Chief Malnofsky hopes to develop a K-9 unit for the Southern Clarion Regional Police Department. He said that he has seen the incredible job that a police dog can do in improving police-community relationships. The Chief’s vision is for private donations to pay for the police dog, it’s training, and retrofitting a vehicle for a K-9 car. This private funding, which he hopes will include school and community groups as well as private individuals, will make the police dog a “community” project, a “community” effort, and a “community” asset. Chief Malnofsky has seen other communities really come together over this sort of public stakeholding in a police dog. He also said that police dogs are excellent at helping to develop positive relationships between the community and the police. Having the K-9 officer and dog at public events and touring the schools is a great foundation for building the trust that is so critical.

New Bethlehem Police Chief Robert Malnofsky (Chief Bob) speaks with New Bethlehem Fire Company Members *Photo courtesy of TechReady Professionals

Chief Malnofsky said that he was truly grateful to Sargent Danny Clark for all of his help in this transition. For his part, Sgt. Clark told RVO, that from his perspective, all of the changes that are beginning in the Police Department are changes for the good. He said that from what he can see, Borough Council had done well by inviting Chief Bob to come to New Bethlehem and that he is excited about the future for the Southern Clarion Regional Police Department.

RedbankValley.org welcomes Chief Malnofsky to the Redbank Valley and we hope his time here is beneficial to both Chief and the community.

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MEETINGS:
New Bethlehem Borough meetings are held the 3rd Tuesday of each month at 7:30pm at the Alltel/Windstream Building on Lafayette Street. Folks may contact the Borough’s office to be placed on the meeting agenda.

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