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Chief Arthur D. Smith, Jr. started his law enforcement career in the late 70’s after putting himself through college and obtaining a bachelor’s degree in Police Science from York College.  Chief Smith came from a hard working middle class family and nothing was ever given to him.  His work ethic was unrivaled and he rose through the ranks during his law enforcement career.  He started at Dallastown as a patrolman in the late 70’s and moved on to West Manchester Township shortly thereafter. He was quickly promoted to the position of detective.  Chief Smith liked to point out that he was very young at that time and did not have much experience in criminal investigation; however, other senior investigators from area police departments were instrumental in helping him.  Chief Smith never forgot the aid he had received from these senior investigators and made sure he was there to lend advice, guidance, and a helping hand to new investigators coming into the field.   In 2001, he became Chief of Police at West Manchester Township.  He held this position for nearly 16 years.  In 2018, Chief Smith accepted the position of Chief County Detective for the York County District Attorney's Office.

During Chief Smith's time as a detective, he worked some of the most high profile cases in York County's history.  Some of which garnered national recognition.  One of these cases involved Mark Spotz, defendant, in 1995.  Spotz was the suspect in a killing spree which ended in West Manchester Township.  Spotz was successfully convicted of murdering a female citizen who was carjacked on her way to work.  Chief Smith's investigation was instrumental in the successful conviction.  

Chief Smith was also deeply committed to helping and protecting children.  While in the position of Chief of Police at West Manchester Township, and later as Chief County Detective in the District Attorney’s Office, Chief Smith was instrumental in formulating programs and committees for the purpose of protecting and safeguarding children.  He was part of the Safe Kids Initiative in York County which was a coalition of public, private, and volunteer organizations whose purpose is to identify and prevent childhood injuries through education, networking, and advocacy.  Additionally, he was head of the York County Care Team which is an emergency child abduction response team comprised of state, local, and federal agencies that respond to missing, abducted, and endangered children incidents in York County.  In fact, York County was one of the first teams in the Nation to get accredited by the National Center for Missing Children.  Art also played a strong role at the Children’s Advocacy Center which is a center to reduce the trauma to child abuse victims and provide a professional approach in these matters by conducting forensic child interviews with children by trained professionals.  There are also medical evaluations of these children if needed, and victim support to the child and their family in these matters.  Additionally, the center is designed to educate, advocate, and prevent child abuse within the community.  He also was the law enforcement representative for York County Children, Youth, and Families multi-disciplinary team approach advocating for child victims and getting the needed services for those victims and their families. Chief Smith's legacy in these areas will be recognized for generations to come.   

Moreover, when he was Chief of Police at West Manchester Township, Chief Smith was responsible for the wellbeing of 26 officers under his command. This was a responsibility that he did not take lightly.  He frequently stated that his men’s problems were his problems.  As chief, he had an open door policy where anyone could come in at anytime and talk with him about any problem they were having, personally or professionally.  Chief Smith acted as a leader, a counselor, and always a friend.   The most important thing to him was seeing to it that every one of his officers made it home safely to their families.  As Chief of Police, he also wanted to make this department the best police department it could be. He saw to it that his men got professional training in all facets of police work. He also wanted to provide his men with the best tools and equipment.  Chief Smith not only made you a better officer, he made you a better person. He did this by leading by example.  When asked what the best character attribute was for a police officer he said, “I think it’s compassion”.  That was evident in the way he lived every aspect of his professional and personal life.