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Proclamation honoring the late Walter J. Alberts, former assistant superintendent for the Allegheny County Police Department.
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WHEREAS, Allegheny County is blessed with individuals dedicated to enhancing the quality of life in our neighborhood and the community as a whole. One such individual, the late Walter J. "Corky" Alberts, was a kind, personable, family man and "founding father" of the Allegheny County Police Department; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Alberts joined the Allegheny County Police Department in 1959 and worked his way up from park patrolman to assistant superintendent. Mr. Alberts, along with Superintendent Robert G. Kroner who passed away in 2005, transformed the Allegheny County Police Department from what was essentially a security force patrolling North and South parks and Pittsburgh International Airport into a highly trained professional department of officers and detectives able to provide investigative expertise and assistance to local municipalities; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Alberts, who served as president of the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association from 1988-1989, played a major role in procuring improved wage and benefit standards for police officers throughout Pennsylvania. In particular, he was the primary lobbyist for the creation of a statewide pension fund for officers; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Alberts grew up in the Hill District in a family of humble means and passed up several collegiate athletic scholarships to enlist in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. While stationed in Europe, he was an all-star football player and played in the Armed Forces Spaghetti Bowl in Italy. When the war ended, he began courting his wife of 63 years, Dolores "Dolly" Mahfood Alberts; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Alberts formed a group called "The Four Horsemen," which raised more than $750,000 for a variety of causes such as Children's Hospital, Special Olympics and research for breast cancer, which claimed the life of his daughter, Leslie Lampl, in 2000; and
WHEREAS, in addition to his wife, son, Michael G. Alberts, and daughter-in-law, Karen Alberts, Mr. Alberts is survived by five grandsons;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that Allegheny County Council, does hereby honor in memoriam Walter J. "Corky" Alberts for his unwavering commitment to serving others. Mr. Alberts legacy of his dedication to helping others serves as an inspiration to this Council and to the residents of Allegheny County.