Puskarcik returns to Campbell to serve as police chief

January 7, 2017 at 12:06a.m.

CAMPBELL

The city has sworn-in Dennis Puskarcik as its new police chief.

Puskarcik, a 1975 Campbell Memorial High School graduate, began his law-enforcement career at the Campbell Police Department.

Puskarcik retired from the Youngstown Police Department in 2003 as a detective-sergeant before moving to Florida to work as an officer for the Palm Beach County School District.

Mayor Nick Phillips fired the previous police chief, Drew Rauzan, in November after Phillips said an Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation found evidence of sexual misconduct on Rauzan’s part. The Ohio BCI is a subset of the Ohio Attorney General’s office.

Ohio Attorney General’s Office spokeswoman Jill DelGreco said the BCI is not releasing any documents from its investigation to the media, pending possible criminal prosecution of Rauzan. No charges had been filed against Rauzan as of Friday.

The BCI has handed over the case to Senior Assistant Attorney General Daniel Kasaris, who will serve as a special prosecutor.

Rauzan, who is attempting to appeal his termination through the city’s civil service commission, has a hearing set for Jan. 27.

Phillips said he is unsure what would happen to Puskarcik if Rauzan’s appeal proves successful.

“I guess we’ll have to cross that road when we come to it,” Phillips said.

The mayor added, “I felt [Puskarcik] would be a perfect fit for the police department with his extensive background in law enforcement and his knowledge. He knows the community.”

City council has not yet voted to set Puskarcik’s salary. Council members have said salary will likely depend on whether Puskarcik serves as an administrative chief or as a working chief, who fills shifts on the road.

“I’m looking forward to working for the mayor and with city council toward making Campbell a safe city that people want to come and do business in,” Puskarcik said, adding that his first priority would be ensuring safety at the Campbell City Schools. “There’s not going to be [any] major changes. I’ve got to evaluate things and see what’s going on. If changes need to be made, I’ll make ’em. But until then, I’ll have to see what’s going on first.”