AUSTINTOWN — Police Chief Robert Gavalier is set to retire at the end of this month, and now another of the department’s longest-serving officers is set to follow him out the door.

At Monday’s regular meeting, the Austintown Board of Trustees accepted a formal retirement notice from Capt. Tom Collins, who notified trustees by email on Jan. 30 that his last day on the job will be March 31. A 15-year lieutenant with nearly 30 years in the department, Collins was Gavalier’s choice for captain in June.

“My goal has just been to make sure all our employees do the best job they can, but right now it’s time to look at a different career path,” Collins said.

Collins was among those favored to succeed Gavalier as chief.

“I just felt like I was not willing to pursue that,” he said. “I’ve had a very fulfilling and rewarding career, with over 30 years of interacting with the public, and it was just time I open up a new chapter and move onto a new career path and that’s what I’m trying to work towards.”

Collins, who is also a licensed paramedic, said he may pursue that line of work, but is exploring options.

Collins began his career in the patrol division, spending time as a canine handler. Before his promotion to captain, he served as supervisor of the patrol division for several years and assumed many of the duties of a captain when Capt. Bryan Kloss retired five years ago.

“His responsibilities were delegated to supervisors. I probably took about 80% of the workload, and the rest was delegated to the chief and one other supervisor,” Collins said.

As captain, he supervised the patrol and detective divisions, as well as dispatch, and ensured that day-to-day operations comply with state and local laws and department policy. Collins also wrote the department’s policies and procedures, ensuring they aligned with the standards of the Commission for the Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies. He also worked to ensure the police chief’s vision for the department was being carried out.

Trustee Robert Santos praised Collins for his contributions to the department.

“He definitely was instrumental in devising a lot of policies and procedures that have not only been used by and benefitted Austintown, but that other communities have mirrored,” Santos said. “We are so grateful to him and we certainly wish him nothing but the best in his future endeavors.”

OTHER BUSINESS

Trustees also approved a motion authorizing the Mahoning County Prosecutor’s Office to file a lawsuit against Custom Utilicom, Inc., AT&T and other involved parties regarding storm pipe damage caused on March 1, 2023, at the northeast corner of South Rosemont and Potomac Drive.

Township Administrator Mark D’Apolito said the damage was caused while Custom Utilicom, a subcontractor for AT&T, was laying down fiber optic cables in the township.

“It was not a substantial expense but it is an expense worth collecting,” D’Apolito said. “I certainly feel like utilities or other companies that damage our underground infrastructure do need to pay for that damage.”

Additionally, trustees presented proclamations to the Austintown Middle School 2024 Competition Cheer team for winning the state championship on Jan. 26. Trustees also observed a moment of reflection in honor of two recently deceased former township trustees, Ben DiRienzo and Warren ‘Bo’ Pritchard. DiRienzo died on Jan. 21 and Pritchard on Jan. 8.