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Police chief marks 30 years with village
(by Sali McSherry - June 11, 2009)
Police chief marks 30 years with village
By SALI McSHERRY
From dealing with alligators, buffaloes and llamas to chasing the bad guys, Orange Police Chief Christopher Kostura has seen a lot during his 30-year service to the community.
This month marks his anniversary and Mayor Kathy U. Mulcahy said, "If you see him, please congratulate him."
The mayor also said, Chief Kostura "sets the tone for our top quality police department. All the officers, and in fact all the employees of every department, look up to the chief for his leadership. He has served the village so long that he has seen generations grow up here and is considered by many in Orange Village to be a friend as well as a protector."
Each of the four Orange mayors he has worked for has been instrumental in furthering his career, Mr. Kostura, 51, said.
The late former Mayor Elmer White hired Mr. Kostura in 1979. Now the chief works with Mr. White's son, Bruce, who is fire chief and service director of the village. The late former Mayor Norm Singer promoted him to sergeant in 1985, former Mayor Joseph Dubyak made him lieutenant and Ms. Mulcahy promoted him to chief in 2001.
Mr. Kostura said he entered law enforcement purely by accident.
He grew up in Bedford and as a teenager worked at a local gas station next to the Woodmere Police Department while attending Kent State University to major in business. His friend, a Woodmere police officer, told him about an opening on the midnight shift as a police dispatcher in Pepper Pike. He was offered the job and that was the beginning of his interest in law enforcement.
Mr. Kostura, then 21, was hired by Orange Village and attended a police academy at Case Western Reserve University.
He scored high on his civil service test, second in Warrensville Heights and fourth in Maple Heights. While Maple Heights may have paid more, it had a residency requirement and Mr. Kostura said he didn't want to be told where to live. Warrensville paid about the same as Orange at that time, he said.
Mr. Kostura's office is overflowing with diplomas and certifications for continuing education, department awards and pictures of his wife and family, including two sets of twins -- three daughters and one son.
Over the years, he has attended the FBI National Academy, and classes, workshops and seminars on topics such as interviewing techniques and advanced hostage negotiations.
Mr. Kostura, who oversees the Valley Enforcement Group's negotiations team, said it is important that his 14 full-time officers have the opportunity to advance their training in the specific areas they have an interest in, whether it's forensics, special weapons and tactics, hostage negotiations, interviewing techniques or other related categories in law enforcement.
He's proud of his department, he said. "We've got a great group of officers," Mr. Kostura said, "and it's all about teamwork. They all are very qualified and professional. He's also proud of the fact that he and most of his officers are cross-trained as firefighters and emergency medical technicians.
The bicycle-patrol program that was rolled out last year has been effective and well received by the residents, Mr. Kostura said. Officers ride the side streets, speaking with residents and neighborhood kids. The police department is extremely service oriented, he said.
Mr. Kostura said Chagrin Valley communities like Orange and Chagrin Falls see a little more action because of their commercial districts, which bring a higher number of transient people.
He has helped crack cases of breaking and entering, theft and drug-related incidents. Years ago, he said a small plane with engine trouble landed on Interstate 271. He was on his way to a police clambake when the news broke and he coordinated traffic control and the towing of the plane off the interstate ramp.
Mr. Kostura recalled years ago, a resident reported to police that an alligator was on her property. It turned out that a youth who had the alligator as a pet, didn't want him any more and left him in a ditch.
In another scenario years ago, a resident called in and the first thing she said was, 'First, I want you tell you I haven't been drinking -- there's a buffalo in my yard.' Turned out it had gotten loose from the Dubyaks' farm, he said.
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