Derry Township, Pennsylvania Police

The Derry Township Police Department is the primary law enforcement agency in Derry Township, PA, or commonly referred to as Hershey, PA. The Department was created on July 1, 1966 by the Derry Township Board of Supervisors. [ [http://www.derrycops.com/pdhistory.htm Derry Township Police Department website] ] Currently the department is made up of 35 Sworn Police Officers, two of which are Lieutenant's, five Sergants and the Chief of Police. The current Chief of Police is William Smith. The department also consists of detectives, Community Service Officers (CSO), and Administrative and Communication's Personal.

History

The Board of Supervisors of the Township of Derry created the Derry Township Police Department on July 1, 1966. The department began with Chief Joseph Sheranko and three patrol officers. The agency continued to grow and in 1971, five additional officers were hired to the expanding department bringing the total officers to 16. Between 1974 and 1978 the agency remained at 18 officers, expanding to 21 in 1978. The next growth occurred in 1983 when the force totaled 24 officers. The next seven years, as the community grew, the Police Department maintained the 24-officer level. Additional officers were added in 1990 and 1992. In 1993 the Board of Supervisors approved the establishment of SET (Special Enforcement Team) with three officers. In 1998 the Police Department established a Community Police Section after receiving Federal funding for 4 additional officers from a COPPS Universal Hiring Program grant. The complement of sworn officers established in 1998 is 36.

In addition to the sworn officers, the Police Department employs two full-time and three part-time secretaries, five full-time and five part-time Communications Specialists, eight part-time Community Service Officers, and six part-time Special School Police (Crossing Guards).

The Derry Township Police Department is now in its eleventh year as an Internationally Accredited Police Department, This accomplishment is significant given the fact that there are 1,253 Municipal police Departments in Pennsylvania, and the Derry Township Police Department was only the 5th Municipal Police to receive this honor of Accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA). By achieving their goal of International Accreditation, the Derry Township Police Department is in the forefront of law enforcement not only in Central Pennsylvania. The Department received accredited status in 1997 and was re-accredited in 1999. [ [http://www.derrycops.com/pdhistory.htm Derry Township Police Department website] ]

Patrol Division

The Township of Derry Police Department Patrol Section has four six-officer platoons, each under the direction of a Patrol Sergeant. The Patrol Section is the front line of the Department. The function of the Patrol Section is primary response to all reports of crime and requests for service within the Township. Proactive patrol activities include traffic and criminal statute enforcement, as well as crime prevention through high visibility patrol. The patrol division includes three K9 teams which supplement the patrol division with drug detection ability and tracking capabilities ( [http://www.derrycops.com/k9group.jpgDerry Township K9s] ). In addition civilian Community Service Officers, supplement the Patrol Section by assisting in traffic direction, handling animal calls, enforcing minor township ordinance violations and parking violations. [ [http://www.derrycops.com/patrol.htm Derry Township Police Department website] ]

Traffic Enforcement

[http://www.derrycops.com/2622.jpgDerry Township Patrol Car] [http://www.derrycops.com/2621.jpgDerry Township Patrol SUV]

Utilizing both marked and unmarked patrol vehicles, the Township of Derry Police Department places a high priority on enforcement of traffic laws. Patrol vehicles are equipped with VASCAR-Plus units or Accutrak Speed Timing Devices for use in speed enforcement. Currently, Municipal Police Departments are not authorized to use RADAR or LIDAR equipment for speed enforcement.

Officers enforce summary traffic laws through the use of citations and warning forms. Many officers have additional training in the enforcement of commercial vehicle regulations, including routine inspection checks of oversize vehicles and modular housing units.

Three of Pennsylvania's major highways, SR0322, SR0422 and SR0039, converge within Derry Township. As an unfortunate result, traffic accidents occur. Patrol Section officers respond to and investigate these accidents. Within the Patrol Section, there are many officers with advanced accident investigation education, including five accident reconstruction specialists.

Driving Under the Influence incidents continue to rise each year and officers remain vigilant in the enforcement of the DUI law. To that end, all of the patrol officers are trained in the use of Standardized Field Sobriety Testing. Pennsylvania case law on DUI cases changes frequently and our officers continue to keep pace with the changes in order to prosecute this crime effectively and within constitutional boundaries. [ [http://www.derrycops.com/patrol.htm Derry Township Police Department website] ]

Criminal Enforcement

Patrol officers enforce criminal law from both the proactive and reactive function. Several officers are trained in drug interdiction and recognition to assist the K-9 officers and detectives.

The Patrol Section is responsible for nearly every domestic violence prosecution. Domestic violence incidents present a special hazard for Police Officers, as each year assaults on officers responding to these calls increase. In addition to arresting abusers, patrol officers are responsible for referring domestic violence victims to counseling and legal services.

A majority of the arrests made by the Township of Derry Police Department are initially investigated by the patrol section officers. Only the most serious crimes or those cases requiring extensive follow up are referred to Criminal Investigation Section Detectives. Patrol officers routinely handle drunk and disorderly persons, shoplifters, theft of service calls, fight calls, trespassers, and juvenile violators, clearing these calls within a few minutes or hours. [ [http://www.derrycops.com/patrol.htm Derry Township Police Department website] ]

ervice Calls

Officers in the patrol section devote many hours to providing service to members of the community. Some of the more frequent services rendered are burglar alarm response, selective patrol of targeted trouble spots in the community, business checks, traffic control for special events (mainly for events at the Hershey Entertainment Complex), and assistance to the Emergency Medical and Fire Services

Patrol officers are summoned to handle requests for service from residents, which require that the officers be well-versed in a variety of life experiences. These types of calls include, but are never limited to, suspicious persons, neighborhood disputes, landlord/tenant problems, non-violent domestic problems, custody issues, and general information requests.

Patrol officers respond to mutual aid requests for assistance from other Police Departments. The Township of Derry Police Department is proud of the effective communication and outstanding working relationship we share with other agencies, and is committed to assisting other public service professionals in performance of their duties. Several assistance calls are given to neighboring jusisdictions such as, Hummelstown Borough Police, Palmyra Borough Police and North and South Londonderry Township Police Departments as well as the Pennsylvania State Police. When dealing with active incidents, officer safety is paramount. [ [http://www.derrycops.com/patrol.htm Derry Township Police Department website] ]

Community Service Officers (CSO's)

[http://derrycops.com/csovan.jpgCSO Patrol Vehicle]

The Community Service Officers are civilian police department employees who assist the Police Officers in a variety of ways. Under the direction of a Police Sergeant, the CSO handles traffic direction, animal control, park patrol, ordinance enforcement and parking enforcement. While the CSO does not have police arrest powers, they provide a valuable resource by assisting the department at fire and accident scenes, special events and other functions which enable Police Officers to remain available for more serious calls. [ [http://www.derrycops.com/patrol.htm Derry Township Police Department website] ]

Crime Investigations

The Forensic Identification Unit of the Township of Derry Police Department was officially organized during the first part of 1980 and went in to full operation on June 1 of that year. The first"Forensic Mobile Investigation Unit" was placed into service on January 1, 1993. The Forensic Unit also assists the"Capital Regional Forensic Unit" in forensic investigations throughout the Dauphin, and Cumberland County area.

The purpose of the Forensic Identification Unit is to assist all other sections, units and members of the department regarding crime scene technology, physical evidence collection and crime scene documentation.

The Forensic Identification Unit is part of the Criminal Investigation Section and falls under the direct command of the CI Section Sergeant. One detective is assigned to the unit. The Forensic detective is responsible for crime scene documentation and evidence collection. The Forensic detective serves as the liaison in submitting all evidence for later analysis to outside laboratories such as the Pennsylvania State Police and FBI Crime Labs.

Forensic Mobile Investigation Unit

The first Forensic Mobile Investigation Unit was an old 1987 Ford ambulance purchased by the Township for $1000.00 from a local EMS organization. The $1000.00 used to purchase the unit was donated money from a D.A.R.E. charity shoot held by the Hummelstown Field and Stream Gun Club. In 2003, the Forensic Mobile Investigations vehicle was replaced. The new unit is larger and enables the investigators room for associated tasks such as collection, storage, and sketching right at the crime scene. It was renamed the Crime Scene Unit

Capital Regional Forensic Unit

The "Capital Region Forensic Unit" is a group of Forensic Identification Officers from Dauphin and Cumberland Counties in Pennsylvania who when requested, work as a forensic team and handle all major crime scenes in the central Pennsylvania area.

The Capitol Region Forensic Unit, formerly named the "WE TEAM" was started in Dauphin County in the mid 1980's by Detective Ronald Fernsler of the Swatara Township Police Department.

The "Capital Regional Forensic Unit" over the years has expanded, as stated above, and now includes Forensic ID Officers from not only Dauphin County but also Cumberland County. The Capital Regional Forensic Unit is supervised and operated out of the Dauphin County Criminal Investigation Division.

D.A.R.E.

The D.A.R.E. Program is a Drug and Alcohol Prevention Program. It stands for Drug Abuse Resistance Education. It was developed in 1983 as a cooperative effort of the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles Unified School District to prevent drug abuse among children and youth.

While traditional programs focus on the harmful effects of drugs, D.A.R.E. goes further by helping students recognize and resist the many subtle pressures that influence them to use illegal drugs, join gangs, and commit violence, although the force seems oblivious to greater issues of drugs being put into Hershey. In addition, program strategies are planned to focus on the development of social competence, communication skills, self-esteem, empathy, decision making, conflict resolution, sense of purpose and independence, and positive alternative activities to drug abuse and other destructive behaviors.

The program content for D.A.R.E. is organized into seventeen 60 minute lessons to be taught by a law enforcement officer. It also contains suggested extended activities to be integrated into other instruction by the classroom teacher. A specially trained officer is assigned to school several days a week for each semester to conduct weekly lessons.

Currently, D.A.R.E. is taught by uniformed law enforcement officials and sheriff's deputies in all 50 states and over two dozen foreign countries.

Ten and eleven year olds are targeted because this is the last year before they move to the middle school. As you can imagine, the introduction of new educational processes, being on the threshold of puberty, and wanting to exercise some independence can place additional pressures upon them. Learning how to deal with these new challenges and pressures is essential in attempting to divert students from experimentation with drugs and alcohol.

The Derry Township Police Department and the Derry Township School District started the drug education program with the D.A.R.E. Program in 1992. Sgt. Roy Warlow was the first D.A.R.E. Officer trained to conduct these classes followed by Officer Mary Kepple in 1995. By the end of this school year, over 1,350 5th and 7th grade students of the Hershey Intermediate Elementary School will have graduated from the program.

In January 1997, the D.A.R.E. program was expanded to include 7th grade students from the Hershey Middle School. This program was designed to help strengthen previously learned skills needed to resist pressures to use alcohol and other drugs, reduce feelings of anger, and avoid becoming involved in acts of violence. Topics of discussion include the Juvenile Justice System, issues of concern to teenagers, and the consequences of alcohol and other drug use.

Beginning the school year of 2000 - 2001 two additional Dare Officers were added to the program. Officers Anthony Clements and Tom Pavone were newly hired Police officers for Derry Township who had previous Dare certification from the other department they came from. Beginning that year Officer Clements taught both programs for 5th and 7th grade Dare programs. Officer Pavone taught the 5th grade. [ [http://www.derrycops.com/dare.htm Derry Township Police Department website] ]

ee also

* List of law enforcement agencies in Pennsylvania

References

External links

* [http://www.derrycops.com Derry Township Police Department website]