One year after his passing, we take time to remember our friend and colleague, Sgt. Charles Welsch.
Over the past year, our department has celebrated Sgt. Welsch’s life through countless initiatives. In January, we hosted our first blood drive in his memory; in addition to Sgt. Welsch’s service with the University of Pittsburgh Police Department, he also served as the Deputy Chief of the Irwin EMS and as a CPR instructor. Sgt. Welsch’s dedication to the preservation of life and providing emergency care to others was at the heart of this memorial blood drive.
This year at the annual Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics, Sgt. Welsch was honored by having his badge featured on the backs of the runners’ t-shirts. Sgt. Welsch, who was a huge advocate for raising awareness and funds for the Special Olympics, was with each of the runners in spirit on the day of the run. Additionally, Sgt. Welsch was an advocate of lifelong learning, serving as a mentor to new officers and encouraging others to continue to develop their professional skills. Before his passing, Sgt. Welsch started collecting books for a resource library for our officers. In July, we held a ribbon cutting ceremony with fellow officers and loved ones, marking the official installment of his bookshelf. Officers continue to donate and borrow books from this library to further their learning.
While today in particular gives us the opportunity to pause and remember Sgt. Welsch, we have felt his presence throughout the year as a guiding force for good in the work that we do within our department and out in our community. Thank you, Charlie, for your service, compassion, and mentorship; we will always remember you.