[{"_1":2,"_75":-5,"_76":-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],{"_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",6174605,"mediaKeyId","5369724-16dcd1c49f610b6591d29665fe8747aa","parentId",5369724,"title","Three finalists outline plans for rebuilding trust, staffing and mental‑health response at Norristown chief listening session","audioSeconds",655,"startMs",56000,"endMs",711000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5369724-16dcd1c49f610b6591d29665fe8747aa&start=56&end=711","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5369724-16dcd1c49f610b6591d29665fe8747aa/thumbnail_56000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6174605/Norristown/Montgomery-County/Pennsylvania/Three-finalists-outline-plans-for-rebuilding-trust-staffing-and-mentalhealth-response-at-Norristown-chief-listening-session","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6174605-d8d7004ff294fd0c54de7360befe7567/orig.mp4?Expires=1771157069&Signature=QqGYeMjnamFg1dDhUPjdQuvbMdLcRvoMhRKBeCRPGSMdUW9y3gHLc355zg5VM4ZcyQH-IijqtxYxvfVWqIuPKW8VcL4UifCsT4Dj~iZLorVqAARHBHdJwJAsBB-ivv8zkxo-nGSQv5DgKpEiqCMWx2zk5yjm8BZIzlf8IyYMOCMvcdGOctCUC3koEyfoA9Q1jcm0CZfgoxxIskCeUWKoqY7m1Dp1-kC9stCj~yWauZgXbGjzm8wKk3ur5l6ktk8Ve9FbxtRmXPUm3lulfEUWgZWffBcvdvFZNra5gPjVrx8e1BpxlGFRPQz1doRIt7qwqhgUzVAKfkzzfJTx8iXJeg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Norristown, PA\n","date","2025-07-11T03:58:31Z","article","Three finalists for Norristown’s police chief position answered a panel of community‑sourced questions at a public listening session convened by Municipal Administrator Leonard Leitner and moderated by Dr. Marion Barnett of Widener University. The session’s organizers said residents had submitted questions in advance and were asked to rate candidate responses using an online Slido survey.

Why it matters: The hire will shape how the Norristown Police Department addresses local concerns the finalists repeatedly raised — trust, officer accountability, staffing and responses to homelessness and mental‑health crises. Municipal leaders said community input will be used in the final selection process.

The candidates and backgrounds

• Candidate identified in the transcript variously as “Mister Trill/Trail/Traylor/Trammell” (listed here as the Lansdale chief based on his remarks): described himself as chief of police in Lansdale Borough, with roughly 33 years in law enforcement and a master’s degree. He said his department’s motto is “Everything matters” and highlighted a co‑responder mental‑health program Lansdale launched after winning a Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) grant for $135,000. He said Lansdale identified about 12–13 chronically unhoused people and created a monthly multi‑discipline “hub” to coordinate services.

• Mark Jeffrey Maurice Benjamin Sr.: a Norristown native and retired Atlantic City captain who said he is a proponent of civilian review boards, body‑worn cameras and mentorship programs for young people. He described building community ties through repeated, hands‑on outreach and by bringing juveniles into mentoring programs and police explorers as alternatives to arrest.

• Richard Klauser: the transcript identifies him as a former Norristown deputy chief and current chief in New Britain Township. He emphasized Norristown programs he helped develop, including Coffee with a Cop and a Teen and Police Services Academy (TAPS), and framed procedural justice as the department’s operating principle.

Key themes from candidate answers

Trust and community engagement: Each candidate said building daily, consistent engagement is essential. The Lansdale chief described foot beats and community engagement work in Baltimore’s Eastern District early in his career and stressed building relationships at neighborhood “corners.” Benjamin said frequency builds trust and recounted giving his personal cell number to residents during a crime initiative in Atlantic City. Klauser said 85% of investigations rely on community information and emphasized programs that place officers in consistent, visible roles.

Quality‑of‑life, homelessness and mental‑health responses: The Lansdale chief described using a community service unit to map and count unhoused people, coordinate services with local providers and create a regional hub. He said a PCCD grant funded a mental‑health co‑responder program in 2023 that officers use to de‑escalate calls. Candidates discussed shared parking solutions, outreach to religious communities and targeted enforcement paired with youth diversion programs.

Officer accountability and culture: Candidates gave examples of internal discipline and termination for misconduct. The Lansdale chief described confronting an applicant whose vehicle mobile‑data queries appeared unrelated to calls for service and removing that person from the hiring process. Benjamin and Klauser described progressive discipline, documentation and the duty to intervene by supervisors and peers. Klauser said procedural justice training was woven into Norristown practices when he was deputy chief.

High‑profile incident communication: The Lansdale chief described coordinating emergency response to a recent hazardous‑materials tanker crash, saying preexisting interagency tabletop training and an incident command structure allowed the department to activate an emergency operations center and provide timely public messaging. Klauser noted that officer‑involved shootings and homicides in Montgomery County are typically investigated by the district attorney’s office, which limits departmental releases in active investigations.

Visions for community policing and staffing: All three prioritized rebuilding trust and increasing on‑street presence. Candidates cited recruitment and retention as immediate priorities; several noted Norristown’s officer count had fallen from earlier highs (candidates gave different estimates and did not provide a single official count). Benjamin emphasized culturally competent, service‑oriented policing and said he patrols personally when staffing is low; the Lansdale chief proposed an immediate community survey to set local priorities; Klauser referenced a prior Norristown strategic plan he said reduced violent crime and overall crime during his earlier service.

Community role in the hire: Organizers said resident responses to Slido would be confidential and used in candidate evaluations. The panel reminded attendees that the session was for finalists to respond to synthesized, situational questions submitted previously by residents and community leaders.

What the session did not decide: The listening session collected community feedback and posed questions to finalists. There was no vote, appointment or formal final decision at the meeting; municipal leaders indicated the input would inform next steps in the hiring process.

Next steps and context: Municipal staff said the finalists advanced from an initial pool of 51 applicants after two interview rounds and that the public’s Slido responses would be compiled as part of the selection process. A formal appointment timeline and any final hiring vote were not specified during the session.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Norristown Police Chief Candidates Meeting - July 10, 10 a.m.","oneSentenceSummary","Three finalists for Norristown’s police chief position answered a panel of community‑sourced questions at a public listening session convened by Municipal Administrator Leonard Leitner and moderated by Dr. Marion Barnett of Widener University.","taxTitle","Norristown, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania","taxId",54376,"location","headline","","shortSummary","actionData","errors"]

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Three finalists outline plans for rebuilding trust, staffing and mental‑health response at Norristown chief listening session