Gettysburg Police Chief Robert Glenny said the force was taking the first step in obtaining accreditation from the Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Accreditation Committee (PLEAC). by paying a $300 fee to get the process going.
“Accreditation is a sought-after thing because it provides standards and then you have to have proof of compliance,” said Glenny.
Glenny said accreditation may be made mandatory for police forces in the future. “I’d like to get on board before that,” said Glenny.
Glenny said accreditation forced the borough to create standards and then enforce them, and that the accreditation often makes the force more attractive to insurance carriers.
Glenny gave the example of creating a standard for how to handcuff someone. Once the department creates a relevant policy, all officers would be expected to follow that standard.
Glenny said some costs are going to come into play in the future, for instance construction work on the evidence room and holding cells.
Asked by board member Chris Berger about positive things in the department, the chief mentioned an arrest recently made that resulted in a “drug delivery resulting in death charge” following the O.D. death of a woman on July 11.
“This may bring a small amount of closure to the person’s family,” said Glenny
“I’m a bit worried. We’re really heavy into drug DUIs, and our domestic disputes are up,” said Glenny. “Our officers are doing an excellent job.”
Glenny said a mutual aid agreement with Cumberland Township is moving forward.
Glenny said there is a grant available for body-worn cameras but the borough would have to come up with half of the money. The council agreed that it would not be a good time to commit to this, given the budget constraints caused by the pandemic.
Asked by council member Judie Butterfield, Glenny said the small demonstration on the square this weekend did not have a permit but that this did not create a violation because it did not exceed 30 people.
Butterfield asked if the noise level was an issue. “It doesn’t seem fair if the demonstrators are allowed to raise a ruckus,” said Butterfield.
Glenny said there was an “unreasonable noise” section of the code and also a “hazardous or physically offensive condition” section. “We’re looking at the content of words. We’re watching that,” said Glenny.
Charles (Chuck) Stangor is Gettysburg Connection's Owner, Publisher, and Editor in Chief. I would like to hear from you. Please contact me at cstangor@gettysburgconnection.org.