Bouch settles into position as Middlesex Twp. police chief
MIDDLESEX TWP — Some individuals find their calling in life at a young age. Justin Bouch is one of those people.
From his time growing up in county-subsidized housing in Harrison Township, Allegheny County, which was frequently visited by police officers, Bouch knew he wanted to become one himself.
“I grew up in a single household with just a mother, and there were lots of fights between boyfriends,” Bouch said. “There were police at my house a lot growing up. I always felt comfortable when they were in the house, and I think it just led me to want to be an officer.”
Bouch is entering his 20th year as a law enforcement official and, as of January, is five months into his new position as Middlesex Township’s chief of police. He officially accepted the position in July of 2025 and became the first to hold the title of chief of police in Middlesex Township in 20 years.
In the intervening time, the department was led by an officer-in-charge, but not a chief.
It was the right place at the right time for Bouch, who was looking for advancement after 13 years as a sergeant at the Harrison Township Police Department.
“At my old job, I was not going to advance any further,” Bouch said. “Once I was vested there, I started looking elsewhere for chief positions and I found Middlesex. I saw the opportunity here with the growth of the township and thought it would be a good fit for me, myself, and for the township.”
In his new office at the township municipal building, Bouch keeps photographs of “the projects,” as well as his old Harrison Township sergeant badge. He also keeps a drawing of a police car which was made for him by a cousin to thank the Middlesex Township Police Department officers for their hard work.
“I have my patch and my sergeant stripes behind me,” Bouch said. “They’re a little daily reminder of just where I came from, same as the picture of myself as a child and the projects where I grew up.”
Last month, Bouch got the chance to be on the other side of his own childhood memories when he took children shopping as part of a “shop with a cop” event.
“As a young kid, I did the shop with a cop. I got coats and toys with cops,” Bouch said. “Just this past weekend, I got to go and be that officer and take other kids out on the shop with a cop, so it's come full circle now.”
Bouch said moving up to chief has been an adjustment.
“The biggest difference is I'm not on the road as much. As a sergeant, I patrolled and handled calls, though I still go on some,” Bouch said. “The biggest challenge is coming from Allegheny County to Butler County and learning all the different reporting systems. It's a whole different set of paperwork that I have not done before, but I'm getting better at it each month.”
He added Middlesex Township has been kind to him in his first few months on the job.
“I'm very happy with my decision on coming here,” Bouch said. “The board of supervisors has been tremendous to me in providing us everything we need in terms of equipment and updating our station. The residents have been great — very welcoming and friendly — and I just keep looking forward to more of that.”
The department is back to full staff after dealing with a staffing shortage in the early part of 2025 due to a series of resignations.
“We've hired three (officers) since I've been here,” Bouch said. “That gives us seven full-time officers, including myself, and one part-time officer. And we've been back up to 24/7 coverage since mid-October with the additional officers.”
One thing the department is still looking for is a new K-9 officer to replace William Rapone, who officially resigned in August — the same month Bouch was sworn in as chief.
“We may be getting back to getting a K-9 in the next few months. That is in the in the works as a project,” Bouch said. “One of our recent hires is very interested in becoming our canine handler, so they will have to go through the training.”
