OFFICER MICHAEL J THOMAS AND THE
SPECIAL PROGRAMS DIVISION
A year later Officer
Thomas developed and
taught a more mature
version of DARE which
included classes on
juvenile law, drugs,
criminal activity and its
consequences as well
as ways to promote positive self-esteem. This program is still
taught to each 8th grade student in the North Hills School
District.
August 31st will mark the end of an era for the Special Programs
Division of the Ross Police Department, and indeed, the
Department as a whole. While his duties will be passed on to
new hands, this date will mark the retirement of Officer Michael J
Thomas from the Department after a 39 year career.
Officer Thomas was hired by the Ross Township Department
of Public Safety on October 1, 1979 and served as a
Communications Officer, answering calls for service and
dispatching Police, Fire, and EMS calls. After taking the Police test
in 1990 he was hired as a Police Officer and started his career in
law enforcement.
During his time as a patrol officer with the Department, Officer
Thomas served in a variety of roles, but in March of 2000 he
found his favorite when he was first assigned to the Special
Programs Division. Although Officer Thomas’ first assignment
of reorganizing the Department’s Evidence Room was an
unenviable one, he tackled it with enthusiasm.
While working to bring the Evidence Room into compliance with
guidelines mandated by the Allegheny County District Attorney’s
Office, Officer Thomas was sent to training and was the first
Certified Evidence Specialist in the State of Pennsylvania.
With a heavy load of community based programs being handled
by his partner Officer Bob Muchenski, Officer Thomas was next
trained as a certified DARE instructor as well as achieving a
certification as a crime prevention specialist.
In 2010 a reorganization of responsibilities within the
department saw the Special Programs Division transfer to a
collateral duty assignment with Officer Thomas splitting his time
between it and Patrol Division. While acting as the administrator
of the Special Programs Division he was able to bring several
other interested officers in to assist with various duties.
During this time as the head of the division, and with the help
of the other officers he involved, he implemented the following
programs.
• The National Drug Take Back Initiative
• Bicycle Patrol - This began as a Special Programs function,
before later being transferred to the Patrol Division
• Distracted Driving Classes
• Self Defense Classes
• Surviving Active Shooter/Killer Training
• Bike Rodeo
• Career Day at the North Hills High School
• Establishment of a mass email list for monthly crime
prevention tips
• Bi-Monthly Crime Prevention Meetings
• Community presentations, child identification, tours of the
Police station, and Safety Talks.
As Officer Thomas leaves the department to enjoy his retirement
with his family, he hopes that in some small way, the efforts he
made during his career made Ross a safer and more special place
to live.
Additional responsibilities were added including appointing
Officer Thomas as the juvenile liaison with the Family Division
of the court system. All juvenile records and charges were
processed by him. The issuance of citations and collection of
fines related to false burglar alarms were also added to his duties.
In 2001 Officer Thomas shifted his primary responsibilities to
community based presentations. He began his interaction with
youth in the community by teaching the DARE program in the
6th grades at Saint Sebastian School and Ross Elementary School
in the North Hills School District.
46
ROSS TOWNSHIP
We will miss you Mike.