Summary
In a ceremony held Thursday at City Hall, Kenny Young was sworn in to the rank of Deputy Chief of Harrisburg Police and Tom McGarrity earned the rank of Captain.
{HARRISBURG} – The City of Harrisburg on Thursday celebrated the start of a new era: Kenny Young sworn in as Deputy Chief of the Harrisburg Bureau of Police.
Deputy Chief Young, who started with Harrisburg Police in January 2001, replaces Dennis Sorensen, who retired January 10. Commissioner Thomas Carter and Mayor Wanda R.D. Williams announced the promotion at a small ceremony at the Martin Luther King Jr. City Government Center atrium on Thursday.
“[Deputy Chief Young’s] demeanor, the way he cares about people, and his commitment to the City of Harrisburg are reasons he was selected as deputy chief,” said Commissioner Carter. “He told me everything he owns in his life he owes to the City of Harrisburg, and that stuck with me.”
Deputy Chief Young has risen the ranks in his 23 years on the force. In 2004, he started in the Traffic Safety Unit, where he became a certified CPR and First Aid instructor. In 2014, Young was promoted to the rank of Corporal, and took on more of a leadership role in training younger officers.
Young was promoted to the rank of Sergeant in 2017, at which point he transferred to the Technical Services Division as Bureau Training Coordinator. During that time, he attended training sessions to complete the FBI Trilogy. In 2021, Young was promoted to Lieutenant, and in May of 2022, earned the role of Captain of the Technical Services unit, taking over for the retiring Captain Todd Abromitis.
“This job means a lot to me, because you are in essence a role model for everybody. I do not take that lightly. Being someone who has open doors that someone can come talk to, that is my vision of what a deputy chief should be,” Young said, adding he attributes his predecessors in Deputy Chiefs Sorensen and Deric Moody as his role models in that respect.
In addition to the promotion of Deputy Chief Young, longtime officer Tom McGarrity was promoted from Lieutenant to Captain. He will replace Deputy Chief Young is overseeing the Technical Services Division.
Captain McGarrity joined Harrisburg Police in January 2005 after serving in the U.S. Marine Corps. His passion for serving the country took him to Iraq in 2009 as a member of the Army National Guard. When he returned home, McGarrity rose through the ranks, earning the rank of Sergeant in 2017 and Lieutenant in 2020.
Throughout his time, McGarrity has assisted other police departments, including his own, in leading active shooter training sessions, as well as being a member of the Dauphin County Crisis Response Team.
“Being on the county CRT team has opened up a window to a wealth of knowledge and experience,” Captain McGarrity said. “I wouldn’t be where I am today without them.”
