Falls' newest police chief isn't waiting long to take initiative with the department.
Chief Nelson Whitney, a 33-year member of the department, said he has several plans for it following his appointment to the role this month.
This month, the "acting," was dropped from Whitney's title. Now officially in the role, Whitney is looking for ways to improve the 53-member department.
Whitney … said he is training officers on crowd control, emergency vehicle usage and even training some officers to be emergency medical technicians.
Officers who are EMTs are not common to many departments, according to Whitney, who is also trained as an EMT. Currently eight officers in the department received EMT training.
With that training, officers can provide advanced medical care before hospitalization at scenes of various incidents, including overdoses or crash calls.
“The two things that kill people in Falls Township on a regular basis are drug overdoses and car crashes,” Whitney said.
In addition to [EMT training], a certified recovery specialist will be joining EMT officers during patrols starting next month, according to the chief. The specialist will be able to get those suffering from substance abuse the necessary steps for help, Whitney said.
It is funded by the Bucks County Drug and Alcohol Commission.
It's not just for people experiencing overdoses, but for those charged with offenses such as theft, or victims of domestic or social problems, according to the chief.
“I just love being in a position where my skillset and my decision making can make a difference for somebody," he said.
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A good question to ask the Newtown Township Police Chief is if any of his officers receive EMT training and if he would support NT trying to get funding from the Bucks County Drug and Alcohol Commission for certified recovery specialists to join patrols in NT.