From left: Judge Bradford, Rick Staresina, Judge Harper
On March 20th 2015, the first day of “Spring”, Adult Probation Officer Richard Staresina “Sprung out” of the day to day hustle n bustle of the Monday-Friday life as a Adult Probation Officer, and jumped right into a lifestyle of vacations & total relaxation. The same day, a retirement reception was held on the 4th floor of the Porter County Courthouse. His family, friends, several co-workers, Judges and staff from various departments within the Courthouse, stopped in to say hello and wished him well in his retirement.
Mr. Staresina is a United States Army Veteran. He was honorably discharged from the Army in 1969. Upon his discharge from the U.S Army he became a Police Officer for the Valparaiso, IN., Police Department. During his tenure as a Valparaiso Police Officer, he was a patrolman and then later became a detective. He also was a Certified Forensic Polygraph Examiner conducting over 1,000 specific tests. He obtained a Masters Degree in Criminal Justice from Indiana University (Northwest Campus), in Gary, IN.
In 1991 he retired from the Valparaiso Police Department. Soon thereafter, he went into private business owning Spot-Not Car Wash for 14 years. He was hired as a Part-Time Probation Officer in Porter Co., for a few years. He monitored persons on Home Detention and was one the first designated Domestic Violence Officers in the Department. In 2002, when a full time position became available in Adult Probation, Mr. Staresina got out of the Car-Wash business and was hired as a full time Adult Probation Officer.
After 13 years of full time Adult Probation supervision, at the age of 73, Mr. Staresina, will be surely missed in the Department. He always was blunt, honest, and spoke his mind. He had a great sense of humor and made the job fun. He was always helpful to not only his co-workers but also with his clients. He had a keen sense of being able to tell who was sincere and a flat out con-artist. Mr. Staresina is a dedicated hard worker. He would always have a story to tell that made you laugh and yet sometimes, also made you think about reality of everyday life. He always shared his thoughts and ideas of the profession we deal with on a daily basis in the field of Probation.
Mr. Staresina says he plans to enjoy his retirement with his wife Nancy, who just recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. Congrats! He has 3 wonderful sons and 4 Grandchildren. He also plans to spend a lot of time with them during his retirement. Rick has dedicated so much to the citizens of Valparaiso, IN., & in Porter County. With that, from all of us, to you and yours, it is greatly appreciated. You are a good, respectful, generous, & caring man. We will miss you sincerely. Enjoy your family and your retirement!