Cranberry Township honors outgoing police chief Kevin Meyer after nearly 30 years of service
CRANBERRY TWP — Kevin Meyer never could have envisioned how his career would unfold with the Cranberry Township Police Department after being hired as a patrolman in 1996.
“The timing was perfect for when I came in with the growth and the expansion of the community and how the department has grown over the years,” he said during a meeting of township supervisors Thursday, Dec. 11. “I’ve been very fortunate.”
After nearly 30 years of service, including 10 spent as police chief following a promotion in January 2015, Meyer announced that he would retire at the end of the year.
In recognition of that work, township supervisors and staff, along with several longtime members of the police department, honored Meyer with a tribute video and a wooden keepsake during the final supervisors meeting of the year.
During his speech, Meyer thanked his family and members of the township’s staff, including former longtime manager Jerry Andree for taking a chance on him.
“His confidence in me launched a career I never would have imagined,” Meyer said. “I will always be grateful for that opportunity.”
Meyer earned a role as a detective before eventually becoming a lieutenant in 2007, a position that put him in charge of police operations.
He was quick to commend the people around him for all that the department accomplished during his tenure.
“I think it comes back to the training and the staff,” he said. “I’m proud of some of the initiatives that we put into place with physical fitness and mental health. A lot of the technology that we brought to the agency and the township just benefited the community as a whole.”
Township manager Dan Santoro praised Meyer for his commitment to the department and for guiding it through plenty of modern day challenges.
“(Kevin) has been an excellent colleague,” Santoro said. “He’s just been a great leader of the police department and a champion for public safety in this community. He really cared about residents and the community in general. He will be missed.”
After an exhaustive national search, township officials named Kenneth Ruckel as the next police chief. He began his tenure on Dec. 1.
Ruckel came to the township after serving in the Allegheny County Police Department, where he rose from patrol officer to division commander over the course of his career. He is a U.S. Air Force Reserve veteran.
Meyer admitted there’s a feeling of sadness in leaving something that he helped build over the years, but said the township is in capable hands moving forward.
“It’s different. It’s an odd feeling for me, but I know there’s other things in play for me right now,” he said. “It’s time for me to move on and put it in the hands of somebody like Chief Ruckel who’s very capable of doing this job. He’s going to take it to the next level, I’m sure.”
