CHAMPION Trustees name captain new police chief

The new police chief will be sworn in Jan. 2, township officials say.
By PEGGY SINKOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
CHAMPION -- A Warren police captain is Champion's new chief.
Township trustees unanimously appointed Dennis Steinbeck on Wednesday.
Steinbeck, 53, who was born and raised in Champion, will earn $45,000 annually.
"I'm just thrilled," Steinbeck said this morning. "This is something I always wanted -- to be the chief in my hometown."
Steinbeck chose not to take the chief's test in Warren last year, saying he plans to retire from the city police department in January.
"I've been with Warren for 27 years, and I am going to miss it," Steinbeck said. "It's been a great ride and the people in Warren and at the police department have been wonderful to me."
Trustees said Steinbeck, one of 14 candidates, will be sworn in Jan. 2. He replaces James B. Sicuro, who is retiring Jan. 1. Sicuro had been chief since 1980.
Champion Police Department has eight full-time officers.
'Good cop': "Dennis is really going to be missed," said Warren Chief John Mandopoulos. "I'm happy for him, since this is what he wants, but I feel bad we are losing him. He's well-known, and people trust him. He's a good cop."
Mandopoulos said that when Steinbeck moves on, Lt. Michael Vugrincic will be promoted to captain.
Vugrincic scored the highest on the last captain's test, Mandopoulos said.
Steinbeck graduated from Champion High School in 1966. He attended Youngstown State University and was hired as a police officer in Warren in 1975.
He became a sergeant in 1981, a lieutenant in 1991 and a captain in 1997.
sinkovich@vindy.com