Delaware County Bureau of Park Police & Fire Safety

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Delaware County Bureau of Park Police & Fire Safety (Dept. of Public Safety)
Delaware County Bureau of Park Police Patch.png
Common nameDelaware County Park Police
AbbreviationDCBPP&FS
Agency overview
Employees~75
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdictionDelaware County, Pennsylvania, USA
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Delaware County.svg
Map of Delaware County Bureau of Park Police & Fire Safety (Dept. of Public Safety)'s jurisdiction
Size191 square miles (490 km2)
Population550,864 (2000)
General nature
  • Civilian police
Operational structure
Overviewed byDepartment of Public Safety
Headquarters201 West Front St. Media, PA 19063
Website
Delaware County Park Police

The Delaware County Bureau of Park Police & Fire Safety (also known as Delaware County Park Police) is a county-wide police force, responsible for providing police services & fire safety for all parks, trails, physical property, and government buildings of Delaware County, Pennsylvania.[1] This is the only police department in Delaware County that has county-wide jurisdiction, as every municipality has either its own police department or is patrolled by the Pennsylvania State Police.

The Bureau has 73 sworn police officers in the department who maintain foot and vehicle patrols twenty-four hours a day, throughout the year. A Civilian Security & Fire Safety Specialist along with 2 fire safety officers, (Fire Marshal).The officers continue their training through in-service training, as well as courses offered by the District Attorney's Office and the Police Academy at Delaware County Community College. It was previously known as Delaware County Courthouse and Park Police, but was later restructured under the Department of Public Safety.

Operations[]

All officers are required to qualify annually with their firearms in accordance with the course approved by the . In addition, the Delaware County Park Police Training Division has certified use of force, firearms instructors & rangemasters and all officers have been certified in basic first aid and CPR, AED, & Narcan.

Within the department exists the Detective Division which is responsible for investigating criminal activities that occur on county property as well as investigate motor vehicle accidents and property damage when requested by the solicitor. The force provides police services for the Department of Special Events and handles approximately 120,000 vehicles with over 350,000 visitors who visit Delaware County parks yearly. In addition, the department is responsible for the issuance of identification cards for all county employees and persons utilizing said properties and facilities.

Structure[]

The Superintendent of Police & Fire Safety is Scott D. Mahoney. The Bureau employs officers in the ranks of:

  • Command staff: Superintendent, Captain's of Police, Detective/Lieutenant, Lieutenants
  • Supervisory staff: Detective/Sergeant, Sergeants, Corporals
  • Police officers: Patrolmen and (Detective / Investigator)

The Bureau has two Divisions:

  • Operations & Administration Division
    • Patrol Division
    • Training Unit
    • Equipment & Fleet
  • Special Operations Division
    • Detective Division / Special Response Team, Training, Emergency Management & Planning

The Bureau is responsible for policing:[1]

  • Delaware County Courthouse & Government Center Complex
  • Fair Acres Complex West Division
  • Chester Regional Court
  • Chester Division of Adult/Juvenile Probation
  • Eddystone Division of Children & Youth Services
  • Human Services / 69th St. Division in Upper Darby
  • Upper Darby Division of Adult/Juvenile Probation
  • Darby Township Division of Adult/Juvenile Probation
  • all County-owned parks, land, roads and trails
  • (Temporary) Central Booking Facility

Fallen officers[]

As of February 2022, three Park Police officers lost their lives on duty:

Rank Name End of Watch Cause of death Ref
Corporal Ernest L. Lang, Jr. December 10, 1978 Shot while intervening during an armed robbery in Chester, PA [2]
Patrol Officer Edward Wehe III November 5, 2013 Suffered a heart attack shortly after diffusing a protest at the Delaware County Prison [3]
Superintendent Scott D. "Slip" Mahoney May 18, 2021 Complications resulting from contracting COVID-19 in the line of duty [4]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b "Bureau of Park Police & Fire Safety - Department of Public Safety - Delaware County, Pennsylvania". www.delcopa.gov. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
  2. ^ "Court Officer Ernest L. Lang, Jr". The Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP). Retrieved 2021-06-17.
  3. ^ "Patrolman Edward A. Wehe, III". The Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP). Retrieved 2021-06-17.
  4. ^ "Superintendent Scott D. "Slip" Mahoney". The Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP). Retrieved 2021-06-17.

External links[]

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