Former state trooper, school police officer and Rush Township resident Ronald J. Kazakavage is Schuylkill County’s first gun violence investigator.

The District Attorney’s office hired Kazakavage on Wednesday as a detective supervisor-gun violence investigator. His $23.90 an hour wage will be paid for by a two-year, $189,441 grant through the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency.

The grant will also buy an SUV, protective gear, including bullet proof vests, sidearms and rifles, District Attorney Michael A. O’Pake said previously.

Kazakavage, 53, a state police corporal, is also a police officer for the Tamaqua Area School District and served in the same capacity for the Lehighton Area School District.

First Assistant District Attorney Michael J. Stine said Kazakavage is a good fit for the job.

“He was the state police K-9 unit and before that, with the forensic services unit,” Stine said. “We chose him for his level of experience. He’s done so many different types of cases over the years.”

“We also saw that Ron has good people skills, and that would be important. We do want him to collaborate with different agencies and schools,” Stine said.

“We want to have him available as a resource for the schools. And he’ll also be a resource for our municipal police departments,” he said.

“We’re always looking for new ways to address issues in our county, and this grant helped us do that,” Stine said. “It’s a very exciting time in our office.”

Stine applied for the grant in October. It’s a portion of $50 million in American Rescue Plan Act money that was earmarked to be divided among qualifying counties in the state.

When the grant money runs out, O’Pake and Stine are hoping that county commissioners will agree to extend their support of the program.