Dec 18, 2021 4 min read

MONESSEN – David Yuhasz’s path to becoming the Monessen police chief is not the typical one taken.

Sure, he worked his way up the ranks of the city’s police force before taking over as chief Dec. 1.

But it’s the initial steps in his professional life that are a bit different than the typical road to a career in law enforcement.

“I went to school to make orthotics and prosthetics and had a job in Erie,” Yuhasz said. “I lost my job, came back. I always wanted to be a police officer. When the police academy opened up at Cal U., I attended the academy there.”

Yuhasz, 42, takes over for Jim Smith, who retired from Monessen in November, before taking over as chief of the California Borough Police Department.

Yuhasz has been with the Monessen Police Department since 2004, but has been an officer since 2001. Before Monessen, he served as an officer in Donora, Carroll Township, North Belle Vernon and with Ringgold School District.

The 1997 graduate of Ringgold High School helms a department of 12 full-time officers and five part-time officers.

“We have a unique force,” Yuhasz said. “Everyone has their own little specialty. I have a variety of officers here. I’m basically trying to exploit their assets to make this community safer. We have to be out there. We have to show our presence, because ultimately we work for the community. We can’t do this all alone. We’ve got to do this as a team. It’s a team effort that’s going to have us succeed.”

What can help in that respect is the fact Yuhasz has worked in the Monessen Police Department for such a long time. He also resides in the city.

“I think with my connection here, with the guys here, we’ll be able to continue what my predecessors have done in the past,” Yuhasz said. “It’s familiar.”

Monessen Mayor Matt Shorraw said Yuhasz is quite qualified for the position.

“Dave cares about Monessen and its people. I think that’s first and foremost the most important thing for a police chief, or for any public servant,” Shorraw said. “Dave has the experience, because over the years he’s held various positions in the department, and knows first hand what kind of calls go through Monessen.

“Our department sees a little bit of everything throughout a typical year,” he added. “By experiencing those calls first hand, and by knowing the people, Dave has the tools he needs to continue working with and building the great department that we currently have.”

Yuhasz said he been kind of taking everything in during his few weeks as chief. However, he does seem to have a plan in place for the department.

“You have to see what’s best for the community, what’s best for these officers, weigh them out and try to come up with a solution somehow, he said. “It’s a challenge. I’m willing to see what I can do to help motivate these officers, see what I can do to better help the community and to continue what the previous chiefs and officers set forth in this community to do.”

Yuhasz has experienced quite a bit during a little more than two decades in law enforcement. It has run the gamut from good to bad.

He has witnessed gruesome scenes that stick out in his mind as the worst of the police experience.

But he’s also realized the gratification of helping someone.

Yuhasz said a time when he and other officers helped to put out a fire in a car, in which a girl was trapped, until firefighters came was particularly gratifying. He said the girl was eventually freed.

“There are times you see little kids or older individuals that you’ve helped and you’ve brought joy to them,” Yuhasz said. “That’s the reason you keep doing this. You have to have some type of compassion to help people or be of service to the community. If not, why are you really doing it? I think that’s what kept me in this profession.”

Yuhasz comes into the chief’s position with an open mind, but with the goal to to be of service to the community in which he works and resides.

“I find myself to be a fair individual,” he said. “People can come to me with any type of problems they may have. We’ll work hand in hand with the community. If we can work together to put our differences aside for the better part of this community, everyone wins then. I’m an easy-going kind of guy and hopefully, we can get this job done together.”