Plymouth Township

Police Department

Montgomery County, Pennsylvania

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Chief honored for 30 years of service

By: DAN KELLEY, Times Herald Staff

12/14/2004

PLYMOUTH - When Carmen Pettine started as a police officer in Plymouth Township, Ridge Pike was a two-lane road and the Plymouth Meeting Mall was a relative newcomer to the scene. Supercenters like the Metroplex and the new Ikea weren't even twinkles in the eyes of the developers that built them.

There were cornfields where the Blue Route now runs.
Thirty years after he was hired on Dec. 29, Pettine runs a force known for its willingness to be the first to adopt new technology.
 

"He's brought the police force into the 21st century," said John Slavish, a former town councilman who helped appoint Pettine to police captain in the late 1990s.
 

The massive development in Plymouth has also sparked a large amount of crime at centers like the Metroplex, Slavish said. The chief, Slavish said, has risen to the occasion.
 

"He has a reputation of being one of the first chiefs to try new things," Deputy Chief Joe Lawrence said.
 

Pettine has taken part in some of the most significant developments in the township police department, including a massive expansion that nearly doubled the size of the force.
 

Lawrence credited Pettine with helping develop the township's tactical team.  Lawrence and Pettine are currently working on a wireless network system that will allow officers to view images from remote cameras, including bank surveillance, from nearly anywhere in the township.
 

"He's not only a good boss," Lawrence said, "but a good friend. He was my first sergeant when I came on. He's definitely dedicated, and he's certainly one of the most honest guys I've ever met.
 

"He's well-respected throughout the county," said Norristown Police Chief Russell J. Bono. "He's a dedicated police officer who's come up through the ranks."
 

Pettine, however, is modest about his accomplishments.  "Standing here looking back" Pettine told town council Tuesday, "I'm not thinking about the things I've done. I'm thinking of the great people I've worked with."
 

In a brief interview afterward, Pettine said that many of the officers who taught him have since passed on.  "By sharing their knowledge with me," he said, "they've achieved immortality. I hope to pass it on to the people who succeed me."

Plymouth town council honored Pettine Tuesday night. A standing ovation greeted a resolution read by council.  "We are truly blessed to have such a great chief of police," said councilman Al Fazzini, "for all he has done for the township and the department."
 

Contact Dan Kelley at dkelley@timesherald.com or 610-272-2500, ext. 207.
 

For More Information Contact:

Plymouth Township Police Department
700 Belvoir Road, Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462
Tel: 610-279-1900
FAX: 610-279-9974
Internet: JLawrence@PlymouthTownship.org

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