Michael Bartosiewicz starts his first day today as a Kittanning Borough police officer.
Bartosiewicz, now just 21 years old, grew up in Kittanning and searched several paths before finding the right fit for his lifelong vocation.
Kittanning Borough Police Chief Bruce Mathews pins the badge on his newest officer, 21-year-old Michael Bartosiewicz on Friday. Bartosiewicz is the youngest officer on the police force.
“I went to the Marine Corps (after high school) and ended up breaking my hip, which ended my service there. After that, I went to nursing school at Butler County Community College, but found out it wasn’t for me. Ever since I was little, I wanted to be a police officer. So I went to Indiana University of Pennsylvania for a few semesters and tried to pursue a safety engineering degree. It still wasn’t what I wanted to do. It wasn’t my passion. Then I ended up enrolling into the police academy at IUP and I fell in love with it from there. I worked hard in the academy, kept my grades up, and did everything I needed to do. After I left the academy, I landed my first job at Manor Township and Rural Valley. So here I am. I am very happy to be here.”
Bartosiewicz said that although he is young and new on the job, he is looking to his fellow officers for guidance.
“There are a lot of seasoned guys that I can look up to and ask any question I want. Most of the time they will have the answer for me. These guys can mold me into what’s best for the community here in Kittanning.”
Chief Bruce Mathews said there will be an orientation period for Bartosiewicz to be trained.
“With him being rather new into law enforcement, we are anticipating a longer training period. That will be evaluated within the next several weeks to determine where he is at. That will reflect how he is scheduled. Currently in the beginning, he will be with the field training officer, someone to show him the ropes and give him examples how to handle stuff.”
Bartosiewicz said he is ready for the task.
“If anybody needs to talk to me, I want to be the one to talk to. I am a problem solver. I like to handle people’s issues,” he said.
Bartosiewicz worked at the Rural Valley Police Department for approximately four months before becoming an officer in Manor Township. After approximately eight months of service, supervisors regretfully accepted his resignation last Wednesday night so he could devote his work full-time to Kittanning Borough.