[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6174612,"mediaKeyId","5369722-d33ada5c305c3670cec061bcc6359e05","parentId",5369722,"title","Finalists emphasize procedural justice, mentorship and stability in visions for Norristown policing","audioSeconds",517,"startMs",6048000,"endMs",6565000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5369722-d33ada5c305c3670cec061bcc6359e05&start=6048&end=6565","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5369722-d33ada5c305c3670cec061bcc6359e05/thumbnail_6048000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6174612/Norristown/Montgomery-County/Pennsylvania/Finalists-emphasize-procedural-justice-mentorship-and-stability-in-visions-for-Norristown-policing","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6174612-e1e1513d85b61619a649b7c9ac05980a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771096738&Signature=EGBwubqQ1H4iSoVwj47ydCjbzcoU9Iqp9PahN0efTukpCZYJc26AmfZaSeL-Ld~hBduWlFbbVw2N501OdmOmGeZIVEJtw7xMdFAy1qRe3gZ5i6sQV2mN61Zybazum0axudGtoK3bxL14j-mSlY-7kz-sI~2gsi72L6dqUj2uPlCgAof1RIh6FNXh40T4MK2VgFdqihXERl~YYgxN~mTj8PPGtEm7ozES~~RMsDf5ZVSiF9~yuXXWJh4gaIHmhExBF8Gdu8rHYUqKwTldI85rVKitTe41plwkwqGDNLuGO3wJXsVDUclV2maoUZJlEAWko2pMIRtqmpmNl~OtVIGyLQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Norristown, PA\n","date","2025-07-12T03:07:03.7Z","article","In closing answers at the town hall, the three finalists described a shared emphasis on procedural justice, cultural competence and mentorship as central components of community policing in Norristown.
Michael Trail said his vision is a “culture of cooperation and collaboration” and recommended departmental community surveys and specialized community service units supported by mental-health co-responders. “Every single police officer in this department has to be a community engagement officer,” Trail said.
Mark Benjamin, a Norristown native, prioritized constitutional policing, cultural competence and transparency, and linked stable leadership to staff retention. “A head takes care of its body so it can take care of its community,” Benjamin said, arguing that front-line supervision and in‑person leadership matter to officer morale.
Rich Klauser, who spent 28 years in Norristown before leaving in 2021, said he wanted to “bring that stuff back” — restoring policing strategies he said produced strong community partnerships between 2014 and 2021. He cited operationalizing procedural justice through training, body-worn cameras and routine community meetings.
All three candidates also highlighted officer wellness and resilience training. Trail and Benjamin described mental‑health and resiliency programs for officers they had taught; Benjamin described mentoring programs for youth as part of wider community engagement.
The candidates’ proposals overlap substantially; the panel will consider the town hall ratings and the panel’s own evaluations before advancing the hiring process.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Norristown Police Chief Candidates Meeting - July 10, 6 p.m.","oneSentenceSummary","Finalists offered overlapping visions for community policing emphasizing procedural justice, cultural competence, mentorship, officer wellness and the need for stable leadership to retain officers.","taxTitle","Norristown, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania","taxId",54376,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6174615,"Finalists recount past misconduct cases and describe accountability measures",647,4665000,5312000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5369722-d33ada5c305c3670cec061bcc6359e05&start=4665&end=5312","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5369722-d33ada5c305c3670cec061bcc6359e05/thumbnail_4665000.jpg","/articles/6174615/Norristown/Montgomery-County/Pennsylvania/Finalists-recount-past-misconduct-cases-and-describe-accountability-measures","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6174615-8cf90bb37588cee15ba3c609b66f0f9e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771096738&Signature=Yw8lGXSh-LPFOpiQScIsLs0t5YmIg--Rt9RM-7y-E15rHrSwwWV2eMTSHK77miawRs5GUc-YCRHw1R6VB0cJAdXkoU11dM9ajwdgSyebAgehPAcT8Yz4IoDa2WBJeqNptM-0nvC4cpcZOaBcqybiSlt~iqUsrN~3FOHf~JggsBaDMdk8kHKgMwBuJnpqMcqVqP4WVvo7o9Tmitu56SeG2f10hQ5WHpCYBWhuFHEmtRp8mbfY4ftVROVstyklhYKoy0Md8-YjOeQrWtHJprmWkTEhPx5zNwVqObkRrJXvwSzNjBbhtTTjUkqPyrLnBJfwK7cx4AkvbDN5-XnSVxaeKw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At the town hall, finalists detailed examples from their careers when officers engaged in misconduct or when their departments faced public distrust, and they described steps taken to ensure accountability.
Michael Trail said he testified in a Department of Justice civil-rights investigation while working in the Pittsburgh area and recounted discovering a current officer abusing a mobile data terminal. Trail said he removed the officer from a hiring process and emphasized training and technology such as body-worn cameras and analytics to detect problematic behavior.
Mark Benjamin described supervising an officer with repeated performance problems who eventually pointed a firearm at himself while booking a suspect; Benjamin said he and supervisors documented prior counseling, used the early-warning system to monitor the officer and concluded the man should not remain in the job. He said the documentation and the recorded incident compelled administrative removal.
Rich Klauser discussed an off-duty assault by a Norristown officer. He said command staff placed the officer on administrative leave, referred the matter to the district attorney and removed the officer’s firearm and badge; the officer was later prosecuted and terminated.
All three candidates emphasized training, early‑warning systems, body‑worn camera review and external reviews in cases involving potential department misconduct. They stressed the importance of transparency with community leaders while noting legal and investigative limits on public disclosures during active investigations.
No formal policy changes were adopted at the town hall; candidates’ accounts provide examples of past supervisory actions and the tools they would use as chief.","Candidates described past experiences dealing with officer misconduct — internal reports, early-warning systems, outside investigations and, in one case, termination — and urged use of training, technology and transparency to improve accountability.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6174620,"Candidates back co-responder programs, multi‑agency hubs to address homelessness and quality‑of‑life",148,2714000,2862000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5369722-d33ada5c305c3670cec061bcc6359e05&start=2714&end=2862","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5369722-d33ada5c305c3670cec061bcc6359e05/thumbnail_2714000.jpg","/articles/6174620/Norristown/Montgomery-County/Pennsylvania/Candidates-back-co-responder-programs-multiagency-hubs-to-address-homelessness-and-qualityoflife","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6174620-386728960486ca5ea3009ff062f9bea0/orig.mp4?Expires=1771096738&Signature=Wph2E3lDl2SS~ocvOFqH0ttQyxgeyPVjgmjEUzlJ-WIjR9HqYHhagxxnmP~s3rNXYvs2tafLloyK95yprdwXAnRaOQuPGrhASZEzEWz3JfC2fDG5N0VvGOwR5BG9B-Xso2Xk5qXjuVeNqrlEif5FeLEP8nNSJ4CWW3xHwpoiaHBpNQZF0eJuP5rgk5aWeKaRLjGCfW0xAqPExrsac4hlOIpehfDesNgrnRfr6m6mkA50Z4ebww2o03cgi-fTsmielf1ML82TZSChWs2XfEsCLPYW3u3voohT3qZSwbjoIrRKMjnFTpAj34Rv5k~VkxF0hzQFxi-~ubTRr2iMrrtqiw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","During the town hall, each finalist outlined approaches they said had reduced calls for service tied to homelessness, substance use and traffic hazards.
Michael Trail described forming a multi-disciplinary “North Penn Hub” in Lansdale that meets monthly to triage the county’s most complex cases and coordinate housing, behavioral-health and probation resources. He said the hub initially identified about 12 to 15 unhoused individuals in the borough and then created pathways — including transitional housing — to reduce repeat calls for service.
Trail also said his department secured a grant in 2022 for $135,000 and in 2023 instituted a mental-health co-responder who works daily with officers.
Rich Klauser and Mark Benjamin described similar multiagency and victim‑centered efforts. Klauser said Norristown previously created a hub in 2016 and started a child hub for at‑risk youth that led to a youth‑focused court grant. Benjamin discussed a focused three‑month Atlantic City initiative that used narcotics K‑9s, undercover officers and mentorship to dismantle an open‑air drug market.
On traffic safety, Trail said his town worked with public works to “daylight” intersections by setting stop‑sign setbacks so parked cars do not block crosswalk visibility. Klausner and Benjamin also described outreach to businesses and targeted repeat‑offender interventions for robberies and late‑night crimes.
All candidates said non‑law‑enforcement services often underlie recurring calls for service and recommended formal partnerships to address housing, addiction and mental health needs rather than sole reliance on police enforcement.
The town hall format collected resident ratings of the candidates’ proposals; officials said aggregate feedback will inform the hiring panel.","Finalists described multi-disciplinary approaches used elsewhere — monthly case‑triage hubs, mental‑health co‑responders and daylighting traffic intersections — to reduce calls for service tied to homelessness, mental health and traffic safety.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6174626,"Finalists detail steps to rebuild trust with Black, immigrant and Muslim communities",1873,1729000,3602000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5369722-d33ada5c305c3670cec061bcc6359e05&start=1729&end=3602","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5369722-d33ada5c305c3670cec061bcc6359e05/thumbnail_1729000.jpg","/articles/6174626/Norristown/Montgomery-County/Pennsylvania/Finalists-detail-steps-to-rebuild-trust-with-Black-immigrant-and-Muslim-communities","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6174626-0b535c5db90c9d0d512e688d86dd581e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771096738&Signature=RWf~86Jl7fu-RBMv6F2283dyKrbNTtOo4Q9O6JUSaaYZqOw3h4FX8UCYV0oH28ZqpdZ6pZ~mjoVm2MmbTYu7A~CbcSuCpqMkpoAVgWUHGTrvy7qYEtQiCF4Sxn9p8v1rA0UI4v1dvEEcrEodqe-fCrxXV3Jd~dv0go9y5NE5z5nsWEnp2L5FjoIRwXgyU-BQHi8sgAiJnIh4FgwpXE3m4FyAkLY9SOcUEfRHM8gQ2Vi2QmCUbEozSZcM8wVz-SpTs1JC1aXsZK~l4z6JwM7jgguJWKc4nQX3cehdbbYBHQrBhEfcAtmIPhT1SMMRCxkE3imCYJWDcxyfdmbAizrZlw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Three finalists for Norristown police chief outlined similar community-driven strategies they said they had used to rebuild trust with Black, immigrant and Muslim communities in prior assignments.
Michael Trail, chief of police in Lansdale Borough, described foot patrol work in East Baltimore and said he prioritized everyday conversation over enforcement to build relationships: “I talked about people stuff because we're humans,” Trail said. He said that approach led residents to bring information to police and that partnering with a local mosque helped the department recruit a community member into a city position.
Mark Benjamin, a Norristown native and retired Atlantic City officer, said he visited civic association meetings, explained police use-of-force policies and distributed his cellphone number so residents could contact him if they did not see patrols within an hour. “If they didn't see a police officer in 1 hour, they were to call my cell phone,” Benjamin said, describing an effort to show responsiveness.
Rich Klauser, who served as a deputy chief in Norristown and later became chief in New Britain Township, pointed to a policing strategy adopted after 2013 that included procedural justice, clergy engagement and bilingual community liaisons for Latino residents. He said Norristown introduced initiatives such as Coffee with a Cop, a teen police service academy and visible name tags to humanize officers.
All three candidates emphasized outreach before crises and said that prior relationship-building made conversations after high-profile incidents more constructive. Trail described kneeling with protesters and joining local NAACP leaders and clergy to hold listening sessions after the murder of George Floyd; he said such prior relationships were “extremely important.” Klauser said Norristown’s work from 2014 to 2021 had established trust and that he intended to “bring that stuff back.”
Candidates also raised barriers to trust: language gaps in immigrant communities, fear of immigration enforcement that discourages reporting, and national incidents that can erode local relationships.
The town hall format invited residents to rate candidates’ answers and will forward aggregated feedback to the hiring panel.","Three police chief finalists described community outreach tactics they used in previous postings — foot patrols, mosque engagement, clergy partnerships, civic meetings and procedural-justice practices — to rebuild trust in diverse populations.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6174630,"Norristown holds public town hall to interview three finalists for police chief",6033,687000,6720000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5369722-d33ada5c305c3670cec061bcc6359e05&start=687&end=6720","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5369722-d33ada5c305c3670cec061bcc6359e05/thumbnail_687000.jpg","/articles/6174630/Norristown/Montgomery-County/Pennsylvania/Norristown-holds-public-town-hall-to-interview-three-finalists-for-police-chief","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6174630-0a95cf8f5fe644b8a951a97380f3bf9e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771096738&Signature=ceDKF48HcBP-FgodoNUfg4uZ7jQVYO88SDsHDQIVElOVzmQysSOk~S2FMKZJsxEA2Xd8PwN-tXjMX5QeqrSpprZyRL0oLoa29eq8WRntIfCPJHlhDqN17qrivshJ7HARm9bP3mMOOokII3Q2u0tyb6kZuNBlUT6UdXtmTlHGDFW~-2QImoJu6KAwxirZNGljk2vhFfJ54iP5ITO-8F8qKFZTPKrN~MeFk7selum~9G6ls2F39TOmeVt6saOoIczLhkqUTrhBVRw15x-C~SeEJb-mDSxEfmsT~7WARPhJYzG5z-e8vbbfOg5wagu4bosixQkrMwLqKVVCdg7BT9j-Og__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Norristown municipal officials on an evening town hall introduced three finalists for the borough’s police chief position and invited residents to submit anonymous feedback via QR-code surveys and the Slido app.
The interviews were organized as part of a community-centered hiring process intended to “ensure that community voices are part of this process,” moderator Dr. Marina Barnett said. Municipal Administrator Leonard Lightner told the room the hiring process began in January with about 51 applicants and that the council and a hiring panel had narrowed the pool to the top three finalists in attendance.
The town hall format had each finalist answer the same set of questions in turn while attendees rated responses on a simple scale from “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree.” Dr. Barnett said the first step on the online form asked for name and whether the respondent was a Norristown resident plus street name and ZIP code “so that we understand which parts of the community we’re hearing from today.”
Candidates spoke about their backgrounds and answered standard questions on community trust, quality-of-life concerns, cultural tensions, officer accountability and public communications. The panel emphasized fairness among candidates: “I am going to ask each of our candidates the same question,” Dr. Barnett said.
Leonard Lightner opened the session and described the participatory format and the staffing timeline. He said the shortlist came from an initial pool of about 51 applicants and that a panel including council members, community members and two police chiefs from a Chiefs Association helped vet candidates.
No formal hiring decision was made at the town hall; the session collected community input to be considered by the borough’s hiring authority.
Residents and online viewers were repeatedly asked to submit their ratings and responses before the event closed with applause and closing remarks that “community voices will continue to shape this process,” Dr. Barnett said.
Looking forward, the municipal government will combine the community feedback with the panel’s evaluations before advancing to whatever next steps remain in the official hiring timeline.","Norristown municipal officials held a public town hall where three finalists for police chief answered standard questions while residents provided anonymous feedback via QR-coded surveys and the Slido app.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Finalists emphasize procedural justice, mentorship and stability in visions for Norristown policing

Finalists recount past misconduct cases and describe accountability measures

Candidates back co-responder programs, multi‑agency hubs to address homelessness and quality‑of‑life

Finalists detail steps to rebuild trust with Black, immigrant and Muslim communities

Norristown holds public town hall to interview three finalists for police chief