June 08--Fifty-eight-year-old Dennis Ammer spent five years driving a Port Authority bus, so his first police chase behind the wheel of a squad car was a thrilling change of pace.
"You're going fast and trying to be aware of traffic, and you're not sure what's going to happen," Officer Ammer said. "It's sort of an adrenaline rush."
Affectionately called "Pops" by his fellow recruits, Officer Ammer was by 20 years the oldest "rookie" sworn onto Pittsburgh's police force Thursday, an iron worker-turned-bus-driver-turned cop.
City officers can only stay on the job until they turn 65.
"A lot of veteran officers told me the criminals can pick out a rookie, and they probably won't be able to pick me out as a new guy," said Officer Ammer, who will patrol the North Side, where he was born and raised.
Also among the 31 additions are the son of a city sergeant, the father of a newborn, a former parks and recreation director and a paralegal who wanted to see the law from another angle. They bring the total number of city officers to 862 -- the city is budgeted for 892 -- and join the ranks at a time when many of their colleagues, some veterans with specialized skills, are retiring or leaving for other departments.
Police officials estimate as much as half of the force could be eligible for retirement by 2015. And while police pension board records, which show 11 officers have officially retired or resigned so far this year, don't indicate a mass exodus, officials are concerned that hiring by other agencies could lead to a spate of departures in upcoming months.
Police union president Sgt. Mike LaPorte said he fears the city will not hire quickly enough to offset the attrition.
"We will continue to recruit and put classes on as needed," police Chief Nate Harper said, noting that the city hopes to assemble a class of 40 recruits to begin training around August.
All of the graduating officers are white; the chief said they're diverse in their life experiences.
Gazing at them at the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary in East Liberty, he added, "It's going to be a hard task to replace [experience], but I feel confident they will meet the challenges. They bring a lot of talent to the table."
The ceremony capped more than 10 months of book work and physical instruction at the city's police training academy. The majority of the recruits also spent three months in field training, patrolling alongside a more experienced officer.
Surrounded by family and friends, the officers snapped photos and learned to which of the city's six zone stations they would report. Mayor Luke Ravenstahl thanked their families for sacrificing them during nights and weekends and Thanksgiving dinners, and Public Safety Director Michael Huss told them to learn from the grizzled veterans.
"Keep your ears open and your mouth shut," he said. "It will serve you well."
Their time in the academy made the recruits a disparate family "whether we like it or not," said Officer Vicky Butch, 38, who joined the bureau after 18 years with the city's parks and recreation department.
"Someone has your life in their hands, that gives a bond like no other," she said. "I know if I go to a call, that person has my back and vice versa."
On the streets during field training, she found her gender could have a calming effect and, at times, earned her respect. The mother of an 8-year-old boy, Officer Butch was among just five women in the class.
Officer Ammer, a father of two children in their 20s, said his dealings with testy bus riders and experiences during 26 years as a city iron worker will equip him for his new career.
Officer Alan Anderson's schooling as a paralegal and desire to serve -- as well as his thirst for excitement -- make him a good fit. He recalled his first night out in the West End, where he happened upon five teens breaking into a house.
"I had to pull my gun on my very first day on the job," Officer Anderson, 29, of Brookline, said. "The whole shift came out. The adrenaline rush was incredible."
Listening to him speak, his smiling mother, Mary Bayne, tried to quash her fears for his safety. "He's so happy," she said, "it's easy to trust he will be OK."
Sadie Gurman: [email protected] or 412-263-1878.
Copyright 2012 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
