Serious crime will fall in Upper Darby in 2024, police commissioner reports – Delco Times

Upper Darby Police Commissioner Timothy Bernhardt said this week that violent crimes dropped in Upper Darby and shootings dropped by 35 percent in the first six months of this year.

Bernhardt spoke during a public safety initiative presentation at the council meeting, talking about plans to possibly hire five additional officers.

“This year, homicides are down 83% in Upper Darby Parish, shootings are down 35%, robberies are down 35%, and sex crimes are down 34%,” Bernhardt told council members during a presentation to consider hiring five new officers.

Bernhardt said there were six homicides last year at this time compared with one in 2024. He said criminal intelligence and officers who went through professional policing and used data-driven policies were helping to reduce crime.

Of last year’s six, six have been cleared and arrests have been made, Bernhardt said. Five of the six suspects were non-residents. Three of the six shooting victims were not residents.

The total number of homicides in 2023 is eight. Of the eight suspects, seven are not Upper Darby residents. He said seven of the eight homicides have been solved and arrests have been made. One is open and says, “We have a suspect, but we haven’t been able to file charges yet.”

Bernhardt said he and other officials have met with Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker and members of her administration to work out ways to reduce crime.

“It’s important to work with the communities around us,” Bernhardt said.

He said they would meet once a quarter.

Bernhardt said partnerships like these help the department grow and fight crime, which requires a holistic approach.

“It’s not about hiring five officers, sending them to an academy, putting them in uniforms and sending them out on the street to make arrests. It’s about the bigger picture,” Bernhardt said.

In response to a question, council member Jess Branas Bernhardt discussed how the department approaches reducing domestic violence.

He added that data shows that the number of domestic violence calls continues to increase, and the department has partnered with the Domestic Abuse Project of Delaware County, which has a branch office at police headquarters and works with staff members who can make direct contact with callers.

Bernhardt said the optimal number of officers called for by the International Association of Chiefs of Police is 200 officers per 100,000 residents (Upper Darby has a population of 90,000), which would mean a total of 180 officers in the district, significantly more than the 133 that Upper Darby has. for many years.

He added that modern police need both patrol units and specialist units to meet modern requirements.

Some of the specialized units in Upper Darby include the criminal intelligence unit, narcotics unit, mountain bike unit, highway patrol and detectives. Bernhardt said detectives from the FBI are working in Upper Darby.

Bernhardt said that as the municipality grows in size and police responsibilities increase, the number of officers must increase.

“(We are) partnering and working with outside agencies to ensure we have the best resources,” he said.

There are also officers assigned to the court, the Secret Service and the regional intelligence center.

The commune is starting to build a drone unit. There will be three of them, one is currently being built and the other two will be manufactured in the coming months.

Bernhardt said specialized units provide critical support for investigations and community policing, which has been shown to reduce crime, but it also requires resources. He said community policing builds trust in the community.

He added that during the year the department handled about 32,000 calls, and this number is growing every year.

After Bernhardt’s presentation, Chief Administrative Officer Crandall Jones said that because of the lawsuit and an order from Delaware County Judge Barry Dozer, the township is unable to move forward with the American Rescue Plan Act spending regulations. The Council postponed these regulations.

Councilwoman Meaghan Wagner and Laura Wentz asked General Counsel Sean Kilkenny about bringing the conflict board into this lawsuit. Kilkenny said he represents Upper Darby Township and the charter and code do not provide for that option.

Jones responded to Wagner’s question about the status of the parking director by saying there would be a discussion about the parking authority at the next meeting.