Canonsburg police detective sergeant running for district judge
Citing his more than 25 years in local and national law enforcement, Charles A. “Chuckie” Tenny announced his candidacy for district judge in the communities of Canonsburg, Houston, Canton and Chartiers townships including Meadow Lands.
Tenny, 49, plans to cross-file for both the Democrat and Republican ballots in the May 21 primary election.
A native of Canonsburg, Tenny recently served as a task force officer for the federal Drug Enforcement Agency through the Canonsburg Police Department, where he is a detective sergeant for narcotics and intelligence.
He also has also been a police officer for North Strabane Township and East Washington Borough.
“I have advocated for victims’ rights and fought the scourge of illegal narcotics that destroy lives and harm communities,” said Tenny in a news release.
“We are all aware of the troubling issue with opioid addiction locally, but I can state from experience that the problem is far worse than imagined. My experience with this issue, and across a wide spectrum of crime and public safety needs over the years, makes me uniquely qualified for the position as district judge.”
He has also worked with the Washington County district attorney’s office.
Tenny has conducted many drug trafficking overdose death investigations which resulted in the arrest and conviction of several heroin dealers. He has also conducted undercover drug interdiction at the Greater Pittsburgh International Airport and for the U.S. Postal Service, as well as the apprehension of drug traffickers in partnership with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, Alcohol Tobacco & Firearms, IRS and Homeland Security.
According to an act of the state Legislature on the powers, duties and rights of appointed officers and employees on political participation, “No police officer may participate in any political or election campaign while on duty or in uniform or while using borough property otherwise than to exercise the officer’s right of suffrage,”or in other words, to vote.
He resigned from DEA task force last week to comply with the federal Hatch Act, which prohibits federal employees from engaging in various forms of political activity.