It is no secret that Cumberland Township Police Chief Matt Trostel is proud of his top-notch team. His office regularly receives communications from residents praising certain team members for their performance in the line of duty – proof that the Cumberland Township Police Department (CTPD) is fully dedicated to service to the community. One of Chief Trostel’s approaches is to have open communications with the community and to have residents get to know his staff.
Trostel recently invited local reporters to meet with the CTPD’s latest hires, cadets Jordan Spidle and Fausto Rodriguez, both of whom joined the force in January after graduating from the 125th Harrisburg Area Community College’s Police Academy Program in December 2024. We had a chance to chat with the two cadets, along with their Field Training Officers, Sergeants Josh Rosenberger and Josh Goodling.
Both Spidle and Rodriguez had been training in the same platoon at the Academy where they completed firearms training; evidence collection and investigation techniques; physical training testing; OC and Taser certification; courtroom testimonial practical, and final scenario practical. Upon acceptance to the PD, the cadets also had to complete a battery of Municipal Police Officer Education and Training Commission (MPOETC) requirements and a thorough background investigation.
In January, Spidle and Rodriguez started their 6-month field training at the home station, which includes shadowing their field training officers (FTO) on routine patrols, responding to calls, learning to identify vehicle deficiencies, driving codes, and undertaking various field trips to explore the township’s road maps and landmarks. Initially riding shotgun with their mentors, they gradually take over as drivers.
Spidle recently started driving the police car with Sergeant Rosenberger as a passenger, an experience that Rosenberger describes as one of his “least favorite experiences.” Additional training ahead will include Crisis Intervention Training (CIT); Active Shooter Training; and Crash Investigations. Rosenberger estimates all training courses to be completed by July of this year; at that time, the Township PD will be fully staffed.
Meet Cadet Jordan Spidle:
Cadet Spidle joined the PD last July, after being selected from a pool of 12 candidates who had engaged in competitive interviews to attend the Police Academy. Prior to joining the police force, Spidle served as a decorated Adams County Probation Officer who had earned a firearms proficiency award and, previously, also served as a defensive tactics’ instructor.
Spidle is a graduate of Hershey High School and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from Westchester University. He comes from a family with backgrounds in both military and law enforcement services and initially tried to decide which of the two services he would want to join. After serving for two years as a probation officer in Adams County, he ended up joining the Cumberland Township police department which he describes as a “good click.”
Growing up, Spidle was an active athlete, playing football and, later, men’s volleyball, advancing to semi-professional level.
Spidle’s first call on the job in January happened on the same day he was to be sworn in. Eight minutes into his first shift, as he was putting on his gear to get ready for his swearing-in ceremony scheduled for 9 am that morning, he was called to action on a domestic violence call that involved “strangulation and guns”. Spidle calls it an interesting way to start his career. His swearing-in ceremony had to be pushed back to 2 pm that day at the judge’s house. Later that same month, one of his major calls involved a train wreck on Herrs Ridge Road.
Spidle is 24 years old, lives in Camp Hill and wants to focus on building his career before starting a family, a notion applauded by the two Sergeants.
Meet Cadet Fausto Rodriguez:
When CTPD was looking to recruit additional cadets, Spidle recommended his fellow Academy training colleague Fausto Rodriguez, who had distinguished himself throughout the training. Spidle and Rodriguez served in the same platoon at the academy.
Rodriguez emerged as the top candidate after being interviewed by the Cumberland Township hiring committee and has also quickly established himself as a respected team member.
Rodriguez holds two associate degrees in applied sciences (Criminal Justice and Electronics Engineering Technology) from Lucerne County Community College; is a member of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, and has earned several military awards and recognitions, including the National Defense Service medal, Army Service Ribbon, and PA State PT accomplishment.
Right after college, at 19 years old, Rodriguez joined the military and served as an artillery specialist, being promoted to E-5 (Sergeant) after only 2 years. After completing his military service, he initially attended the Capitol Police Academy in Harrisburg with the goal of becoming a State Trooper but had to withdraw after suffering an injury.
Rodriguez immigrated from the Dominican Republic with his parents and siblings when he was 12 years old. He recalls making it his mission during freshman year in High School to perfecting the English language.
Rodriguez is 23 years old, lives in Harrisburg, and hopes to move closer to Gettysburg very soon.
Asked to describe a typical day on the job, the cadets describe some days as being slow, consisting mostly of paperwork and a few desk calls, while others can be back-to-back with traffic enforcement, domestic violence, or criminal cases, leaving little room for breaks. Sergeant Goodling adds that they encourage the cadets to perform traffic duty on slow days.
Rodriguez’ first task on the job was a call from an elderly person reporting that someone was lingering outside her house; the team investigated, assured her that there was nothing there, and told her to call back if she continued to hear noises. She did. Thus, Rodriguez was introduced to one of the department’s frequent callers that the team routinely has to reassure of her safety.
Many of the team’s calls involve mental health crises. Rodriguez described one of those calls when he had to pull over a highly intoxicated person that matched the description of a trespassing call. The person was suicidal, suffered from self-inflicted wounds that needed attention, and had numerous prescription medications and alcohol on her. Rodriguez initially provided medical care for her before having an ambulance take her to the hospital. Sergeant Rosenberger praised Rodriguez for an excellent job in prioritizing the person’s medical needs before the criminal portion/investigation took place.
These types of engagements are not unusual calls for the two cadets, as they describe other incidents where they first have to focus on getting help for the person involved, ensuring their safety as they stay with them at the scene until an ambulance or medical care team can take over.
The team explained different scenarios for when a person needed to be arrested or taken to medical facility or county jail, depending on the type of crime.
Some of the more interesting calls the two cadets have been involved in since January included the train/vehicle crash on Herrs Ridge Road; the Emmitsburg Road fire; a major theft of several catalytic converters that involved Spidle’s collaboration with police from another jurisdiction; several domestic violence, gun violation and custody issues; and a minor crash between a car and an Amish buggy.
Spidle recalls that one of his most remarkable experiences so far was his attendance at the funeral for West York officer Andrew William Duarte who had been shot and killed in February while responding to reports of an active shooter at the UPMC Memorial Hospital in York. Spidle describes the experience as deeply moving, as the funeral was attended by roughly 300-400 police officers coming from as far away as New York and Chicago, and numerous civilians from various jurisdictions. Spidle says he realized he was part of a greater community of brothers and sisters who had each other’s backs. He felt assured that his own Cumberland Township community had his back as well.
Asked about drug activity in the township, most cases in the township are identified as simply stemming from folks traveling through the area, rather than residential incidents. Chambersburg Road and Route 15 are major travel routes from out of town. Any drug enforcement cases stem from routine traffic stops.
To date, the department has not been involved in any immigration related/ICE activities. And neither of the cadets has experienced any big chases (yet).
While Spidle has already experienced being yelled at by a traffic violator, Rodriguez confirms that no one has sworn at him yet (Spidle: “Just look at his face! How could anyone swear at him?”), and neither of the two has had to draw their weapon, nor their taser yet.
Spidle says his special niche is his ability to relate to others; he loves contact with the community. Traffic patrols often provide unique opportunities for him to connect with folks and to talk them through the incident. He loves engaging with people in most situations.
Rodriguez also enjoys communicating with people; he loves educating drivers on rules and protocols, where needed, making them aware of risks and providing options for them to fix any missteps.
The team has opportunities to work with other township or borough police departments and collaborate often with the Park Service, as Cumberland Township shares some jurisdiction with them.
Both cadets enjoy being members of Chief Trostel’s team and are looking forward to serving the township community. They credit the Chief and their Sergeants for ensuring that training throughout the department is all-encompassing and up-to-date, and each individual officer is trained sufficiently to respond to any type of situation.
Neither Spidle nor Rodriguez are married at this time. Although Cadet Rodriguez is dedicated to becoming a great police officer, Spidle points out that he does not fit the stereotype, as Rodriguez likes neither donuts nor pizza. 😊
(Pictured above, left to right: Sergeant Josh Goodling; Cadet Fausto Rodriguez; Cadet Jordan Spidle; Sergeant Josh Rosenberger. Photo by Donate Gardner.)
Donate Gardner is a freelance writer and journalist who came to Gettysburg from Montgomery County, Maryland. A former linguist-turned-legal professional, Donate recently retired from the corporate world and is eager to support her new community in a variety of ways. She currently serves as the news communicator for the Adams County migrant outreach program, Pasa La Voz.
As an immigrant born, raised, and educated in Western Europe, Donate maintains a strong connection to various other cultures and languages, both as a writer and advocate. Donate is an active musician, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter. She and her husband have two daughters and three grandchildren.