At this evening’s Lansdale Borough Council meeting, Chief Mike Trail and I will deliver our annual report on the state and condition of the Lansdale Police Department. This report works as both a look back at the prior year while also showcasing our shared vision for where Lansdale Police will be headed in the coming months.
be focused on the impact our community policing initiatives have had, as well as
This year, my speech will be focused on the impact our community policing initiatives have had, as well as looking for new ways build upon that success in 2023. The following is a sample of that section of my speech:
“Beyond community events, public service events, classified as where officers are not dealing with any type of threat or criminal act, comprise over 40% of all the calls received in 2022. Consider that statistic again, over 40% of all calls in our community are not related to crime and instead involve someone who simply needs our assistance. In these moments, our police are called upon to appear with empathy and kindness to see how they can help aid the person in need. These small, but incredibly consequential, moments are what help define and build the character of both our police department and our community.
Residents remember the kind words that were shared with them when they were in need, they appreciate the calm strength of someone who is there to help them see their challenge out, and they share that story to their friends and neighbors when the moment has been resolved. One kind act, one act of public service, creates a positive ripple in the community that helps shape the way our whole community is perceived. In 2022 alone, over 11,000 of these positively charged ripples were made in Lansdale, an increase of over 33% from 2021. Their impact on our community is enormous and highlights our dedication to community policing."
In addition to our community policing efforts, Chief Trail and I will be discussing the addition of new officers and staff and how they will allow us to improve our traffic management and mental health response in the borough:
“Already, we have hired and are training three new police officers who will enhance our ability to serve our growing population. Specifically, their hiring will allow us to build a Traffic Management Unit that will be dedicated to helping create a more seamless and cohesive community that, as our slogan indicates, embraces, and keeps life in motion.
Finally, in 2023, Lansdale will once again be paving the way in our approach to mental health assistance. Over the last few years our HUB program has helped connect all the mental health and public assistance programs across North Penn allowing us to quickly, and in some cases proactively, assist people in need. This year, we have received grant funding to hire a mental health expert who will be participating in active responses with police officers. We will, for the first time ever, have a professionally skilled employee who will be able to help in the field as we manage mental health calls. This will save lives and it will make us more effective in that moment of response for the over 250 calls yearly we receive related to mental health.”
I am proud to say that the Lansdale Borough Police Department is one of the finest and most well-regarded police departments in the commonwealth and we will continue to build on that success so that our community can keep moving forward together. Please join us Wednesday night at 7 p.m. at Borough Hall for the LPD Annual Report!
(Mayoral Musings is a weekly op-ed column submitted to North Penn Now, courtesy of Lansdale Borough Mayor Garry Herbert. The views expressed are his own.)
See also:
Mayoral Musings: Opening of Classic Game Junkie and Retroware Arcade
Mayoral Musings: Preliminary Lansdale Police Community Survey Results
Mayoral Musings: Preparing Lansdale for the Electric Vehicle Revolution
Mayoral Musings: 2023 Infrastructure
