Newswatch 16’s Jack Culkin spoke with law enforcement leaders and friends of Officer Scott Seigler and former Chief Robert Gerrity.

SOUTH ABINGTON TOWNSHIP, PA — Black bunting hangs over the front entrance of the South Abington Police Department.

In the last week, the department lost Officer Scott Seigler and former Chief Robert ‘Doc’ Gerrity.

“They’re just great human beings both. Officer Siegler and Chief Gerrity and we have a lot of good memories. Everyone in the department, every neighboring department, He was just a great man, a great police officer, a great friend,” said Chief Paul Wolfe, South Abington Township Police.

Police Chief Paul Wolfe worked with both men, rising through the ranks with Officer Seigler and later becoming the third man ever to head the department after Gerrity retired in 2023.

“He mentored me not only on the job, but off the job, you know, in my own personal life,” said Chief Wolfe.

Gerrity boasted an extensive law enforcement resume. He donned the South Abington Township police badge for more than 50 years. A leader for his department, and for neighboring officers like Clarks Summit Police Chief Chris Yarns. 

“He’s going to be sorely missed in the law enforcement community. I think if you talk to any chief in Lackawanna County, he’s been here any, any while that knew him, who will tell you that he was, he was a guy that had a lot of, gave a lot of advice to and suggestions, and ideas. He had a lot of time under his belt,” said Chief Yarns.

In a statement from the president of the Lackawanna County Police Chiefs Association and the current Blakely Police Chief, Guy Salerno says, “Chief ‘Doc’ Gerrity was an amazing man and Law Enforcement Officer. He did so much to move law enforcement forward over the years. He was always a chief that I admired through my career. He will be missed as a source of information, but moreover as a friend.”

Gerrity had many friends in law enforcement and in the public, one of his closest was John ‘Ding’ Schwartztrauber.

“Both of us actually were school bus drivers in the Valley View School District. I continued to be a school bus driver and Doc went on to be a police officer, so. We always looked up to each other in the capacity that we each had,” said Schwartztrauber.

Close since they were teenagers, Ding and Doc grew up together, volunteering their time to make their community better.

Something Ding and Chief Wolfe plan to continue doing in memory of Doc.

“He’s very respected. We’re the same age. When I get remembered, when I pass on, I hope I’m remembered the same way,” said Schwartztrauber.

“It’s going to be very big shoes to fill. If I can do a quarter of the job that he did, I will consider myself successful,” said Wolfe.

Services for Robert ‘Doc’ Gerrity will be early next week.