Salem to retire in January, Cumo to assume police command
Nov. 21—The New Castle Police Department will see a changing of the guard early next year.
Bobby Salem, who has been the city's police chief for more than a decade, has announced his retirement.
New Castle City Council on Tuesday will promote Lt. David Cumo as the new chief of police. He will be sworn in and will take the helm upon Salem's Jan. 15 departure. Cumo has been an officer of various ranks and duties within the city police department for 25 years.
Salem, 55, has been with the department for 28 1/2 years and became its chief 11 1/2 years ago, appointed during the mayoral term of Anthony Mastrangelo.
In a report to New Castle City Council, Salem wrote, "It has been an honor and a privilege to serve the New Castle community. I have been given tremendous opportunities here to work in a variety of different positions, assignments and duties.
"My career has been filled with so many rewarding and positive memories. Being able to help people in their times of need is what often motivates me and other police officers," he wrote.
He pointed out that there has been "a tremendous amount of sadness" during his career, with the losses of current and former officers, the deaths of children and the senseless murders of citizens.
"In most of these cases, we were able to give the families some sense of comfort by holding those responsible accountable. In other cases, we have been unable to provide that comfort," Salem said.
A news release from city Administrator Chris Frye states that during Salem's tenure, he has led the department through numerous challenges and improvements, earning the respect and admiration of his colleagues, community leaders and residents alike.
Salem gave the city several months' notice of his retirement to allow officials to find a replacement in advance of his last day so he could assist with the transition, Fry wrote, adding Cumo will work closely with Salem for the next two months.
"I have complete confidence in Lt. Cumo's ability to lead the NCPD forward," Salem said. "He is a dedicated, experienced and innovative leader who will continue to build upon the strong foundation we have established."
"I'm proud of the officers and command staff of the New Castle Police Department," Salem said. "They are the backbone of our department, and I am grateful for their hard work and commitment to our community."
Cumo comes to the chief's job with 25 years of experience in police work with the department, having been hired in January 1998.
For 12 years he worked as a patrolman, a member of the Lawrence County Drug Task Force and the county Domestic Violence Task Force, and stepped up as officer in charge when the chief or a patrol sergeant was absent.
From 2010 through 2013, Cumo was named as corporal, then a sergeant in the department's criminal investigation division, handling a variety of felony investigations including homicides. He was promoted to lieutenant in 2013, in charge of staffing, policy and procedures, reporting requirements, school resource officers, the department's K-9 program, motor and bicycle units, fleet management and day-to-day patrol division operations.
He was reassigned to the operations division in 2017 and oversees budget and finances, training, equipment purchases and repairs, payroll submissions and is a TAC officer, as well as managing central booking at the police department jail and supervising three civilian employees.
Cumo has been involved in investigating many felonies including homicides with the department. He is a certified homicide investigator, a trained polygraph examiner, interviewer and interrogator and is trained in latent evidence collection.
He was ultimately promoted to lieutenant with the department. He will advance to the chief's job in mid-January.
Cumo earned his bachelor of science degree at Penn State University in 1996 and graduated from the Municipal Police Academy at Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 1998.
City Councilman Terry Rodgers said Cumo was one of four applicants for the chief's position.
"We were looking for a strong leader, someone whose experience will be an asset to the department, and I think we found a great candidate," Rodgers commented. "Dave is, in my opinion, the right person at the right time. The other candidates all had great qualities, and it was a hard decision for us, but I think he's the right person to lead the department moving forward."
