Chester police commissioner to retire amid traffic incident investigation

A police department in one Delaware County city is suddenly under new leadership this week.

The top cop at Delaware County Police department suddenly retired after a crash over the weekend involving a city-owned police vehicle.

What we know:

Chester Police Commissioner Steven Gretsky was placed on administrative leave on Monday, according to a statement released by the city.

On Tuesday, a City spokesperson told Fox 29 Gretsky had "informed Mayor Stefan Roots that he will retire, effective end of day on Tuesday, January 28."

Gretsky has served as commissioner for more than four years after being sworn in on October 4, 2020.

Officials say the move comes just hours after a traffic incident, which is now being investigated by Pennsylvania State Police.

Troopers say no one was injured in the crash, which involved a police vehicle driven by Gretsky and an unattended delivery vehicle.

It happened near East 22nd and Hyatt streets in Chester just after midnight on Monday.

He was later charged with careless driving, reckless driving, and other charges.

What we don't know:

No further details about the crash or the investigation have been released by city officials or police, who say it is "customary" for state police to investigate all vehicle collisions involving local officers.

What's next:

Chester Police Major Katrina Blackwell will serve as the interim police commissioner while a search is conducted for a replacement.

We reached out to Gretsky for a comment as of Tuesday night he has not responded. 

The Source: Information was provided by the City of Chester and Pennsylvania State Police.

PennsylvaniaCrime & Public Safety