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Police chief reviews accreditation, hiring, bus‑patrol outcomes and DNA partnership
Summary
The police chief told the board the department has been accredited since 2005 (premier status in 2020), welcomed four recent hires, described bus‑patrol enforcement (877 identified violations) and outlined a voluntary DNA‑swab partnership with Montgomery County to aid investigations.
The Upper Dublin Township police chief delivered the department’s annual report, highlighting accreditation status, recent staffing, enforcement results and new partnerships intended to support investigations and public‑safety work.
The chief said the department has been accredited under the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania standard since 2005 and achieved ‘‘premier’’ status in 2020, a recognition the chief described as reflecting compliance with hundreds of accreditation standards. The department reviewed staffing and training, and the chief said four new officers were hired; one recruit, Lucas Casoli, was scheduled to graduate from the Montgomery County Police Academy the following day.
On enforcement, the chief said the township’s bus‑patrol program identified 877 violations in the prior year and that staff reviewed each potential citation. "We established the bus control program last year...there's 877 violations that were identified by bus patrol," the chief said, and added the department approved a majority of those citations following review.
The chief also described forensics and evidence work: the department has budgeted roughly $10,000 a year to use a DNA processing system and is working with the Montgomery County Detention Bureau on an initiative to increase DNA submissions. The chief said any volunteer mouth‑swab procedure for people involved in investigations is voluntary, under district attorney guidance, and has been considered in court practice.
The department reported grant success: staff said the township recently received nearly $28,000 (described as “almost $29,000”) in state funding for two more years of underage‑drinking enforcement and education. The chief said that funding supports both undercover and uniformed enforcement at public events and school outreach.
The chief described community programs and outreach, including a Cop Camp scheduled for Aug. 24–28 for youth ages 9–11 and a multi‑week System Police Academy for adults beginning Sept. 13. The chief also raised the possibility of a small substation near the promenade to allow officers and vehicles to stage closer to a high‑activity area; he said the substation would not add officers but would provide a place to rest and manage equipment.
Commissioners asked follow‑up questions about enforcement authority, appeals for citations and the limits of civil penalties; the chief reiterated that many school‑bus violations are civil, can be appealed, and that staff will use enforcement data to refine response strategies.
The board took no immediate formal action on the report; chiefs and staff offered to supply additional data to commissioners on request.
