Every year, the Chief of Police and I present council with a report that highlights how our police department has changed over the last twelve months. Alongside the expected statistics around call volume, clearance rates, and crime types, the report highlights the direction the department sees itself moving and how we can improve over the coming year.
Below is a preview of my opening remarks to council and how, together, we can keep our community moving forward together:
2021 marked an important year for our department as it brought to bear the lingering challenges of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the lasting mental health impact it has had on the residents and officers alike. In 2021, there were 450 calls for service related to mental health needs representing an increase of 64% over 2020.
Our approach to meeting this challenge necessitated that we double-down on our values as a department and further actualize our belief that community-based policing, where we work together with the public and partner organizations to increase effectiveness, is the best path forward to ensuring the safety and well-being of our community, our residents, and our neighbors.
This resulted in the design and execution of our North Penn Outreach HUB, headed by Officer David Pelzer, who has brought together multiple community organizations to discuss and address mental health, housing insecurity, and other societal challenges in a proactive way.
In addition to our HUB, department training and development continues to be a centerpiece of our community-based policing model and will serve a vital role in the continued growth of the department over the next several years. Police, in today’s world, are expected to be “jacks of all trades”. Within our own department this standard holds true; nearly 40% of all calls are related to public service where officers are not dealing with any type of threat or criminal act. To properly manage these situations, officers require training over a broad spectrum of everyday situations that require a deeper understanding of empathy, psychology, and emotional intelligence.
As a department, and as a community, we will continue to work together to build a better Lansdale. This cannot be achieved alone. Community policing moves alongside community development and plays a crucial role in our shared vision. Through our commitment to these values, our residents, and each other it is no wonder that Lansdale Police Department is, in the eyes of many, a standard bearer in the North Penn Area and across the state. However, our work is never done. We will continue to grow and improve so that we can keep moving forward together.
As mayor, I am excited to see our Lansdale Police Department continue to grow and develop. I strongly believe that we are one of the finest police departments in the state and that is highlighted by our anticipated, though not yet confirmed, PA Chief’s Association accreditation that will occur next month.
The path forward for our police department, and our community, is one where we continue to work together to find new ways of addressing issues that have persisted for decades. It is our commitment to finding solutions, and trying new ideas, that keeps us all moving forward together.
(Mayoral Musings is a weekly op-ed column submitted to North Penn Now, courtesy of Lansdale Borough Mayor Garry Herbert.)
See also:
Mayoral Musings: A Quick Rundown of Lansdale’s Snow Plowing Procedures
Mayoral Musings: Snow Alert Parking
Mayoral Musings: COVID-19 Testing Site Returning to Lansdale
Mayoral Musings: Revisiting the Vacancy Tax Discussion
Mayoral Musings: Lack of Local Data Makes Omicron Surge Tougher to Navigate
