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Sedlacek is wearing his police uniform and standing in front of a municipal building.

Penn State Beaver faculty member appointed to state commission on policing

Don Sedlacek, the Hopewell Township police chief and a criminal justice instructor at Penn State Beaver, has a history of hard work and dedication that led to him being nominated by state officials and appointed to the Municipal Police Officers Education and Training Commission by then-Gov. Tom Wolf.
By: Devon Johnson

MONACA — Hopewell Township native Don Sedlacek is looking forward to helping the future generation of police officers to make policing better for our community through a new appointment to the Municipal Police Officers Education and Training Commission.

Sedlacek, the Hopewell Township police chief and a criminal justice instructor at Penn State Beaver, has a history of hard work and dedication that led to him being nominated by state officials and appointed to the commission by then-Gov. Tom Wolf.

“I’ve been so fortunate in my career and everything has led me to this opportunity,” he said. “This brings everything full circle serving on the Municipal Police Officers Education and Training Commission.”

The commission consists of 20 members appointed by the governor. It was created in 1974 to establish certification and training standards for municipal police officers in Pennsylvania. The commission creates an annual report for the governor and general assembly.

On Oct. 26, 2022, Sedlacek was appointed after he submitted his resume to the commission. He wanted to be a part of the commission, and when the position opened up, he didn’t hesitate to apply, he said.

“I’ve always been interested in being part of this program,” he said. “I feel like in the western side of the state it’s nice to have a representative to help form and guide policing in the state of Pennsylvania.”

“This is an honor to serve on the commission because you have to be nominated and recommended by local senators and state representatives,” Sedlacek said. “It has an impact on police training and professionalism of the Pennsylvania police model.”

Sedlacek grew up in Hopewell and became the chief of the town with a goal to improve the community. He said he’s blessed to receive the rare opportunity.

Sedlacek said he values his journey to this position. He has taught at Community College of Beaver County and Penn State Beaver. He also was the past director and an instructor for the Police Academy of Beaver County and spent 25 years as a police officer.

Twelve years into Sedlacek's career, he became interested in education, and he felt the need to teach and educate future police officers, criminal justice and law enforcement majors. 

Sedlacek said he was interested in the training commission from the start of his police career. When he became the director of the police academy, he received an inside view of how things work from attending meetings.

“I’ve always felt empowered to pass the torch onto a generation to make policing a better place,” he said. “Making this a better profession of how we work with the community and how we help the future generations of law enforcements.’’