YADEN — The borough's police chief told residents at the May 22 mayor's forum that recent hospital closures and longer stays for involuntary psychiatric evaluations are straining patrol staffing and resources, and the department will pilot a voluntary "PATH" card to link people encountered by police to social services.

"It's putting a strain on everyone's resources," Police Chief Henry Giammarco said of the effects after nearby emergency departments reduced services. He described cases in which officers must remain with involuntary-commitment ("302") patients in emergency departments for extended periods or until the patient is transferred, sometimes leaving fewer officers available for patrol duties. "If we have 4 officers working and 1 takes a vacation day, you're down to 3. Now you have a 302 commit that you have to stay with. Now you're down to 2," he said.

Giammarco said county hospitals have implemented new policies that in some cases require an officer to remain with a 302 patient for the duration of their ED stay. He described one instance the department was told involved a patient staying in the emergency department for six days while a bed was sought.

To address recurring social needs that often underlie low-level offenses, Giammarco described a planned PATH card pilot the department will beta test with the approval of the district attorney. The voluntary form asks about food insecurity, substance use, employment, childcare and mental-health needs; if a person consents, officers will provide a confidential "soft handoff" to partner service organizations. "If we keep getting the same person at the Family Dollar stealing food, maybe there's an issue," Giammarco said. He said the DA, Jack Stolzheimer, cleared the pilot to proceed.

Giammarco also said the department obtained grant-funded AEDs and first-aid kits to put on street units and that social-service partners such as Elwyn (behavioral-health provider) and private mobile teams have been working with police to respond to mental-health needs.

The forum included public discussion of policing priorities and traffic enforcement; Giammarco said patrols plan stepped-up traffic enforcement as summer vacations end, and he highlighted a new school-bus camera program in the district that captured multiple violations in the first days of school.

No formal policy changes or council votes were taken at the forum; the PATH card was described as a pilot with planned evaluation and possible later expansion.

Why this matters: Extended emergency-department holds and limited access to behavioral-health beds can reduce patrol capacity and increase operational risks for public safety agencies. The PATH card aims to link people encountered by police to services rather than rely solely on arrests.

(Quoted statements above are from Police Chief Henry Giammarco and are recorded in the forum transcript.)