Deputies Take Different Approach To Law Enforcement Through New Program - LevittownNow.com

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On a recently chilly morning, a group of several plainclothed Bucks County Sheriff’s Office deputies walked up to a homeless encampment on the Bristol Borough and Bristol Township border.

“Hello? Hello?” they asked.

After a minute or two, a tarp ruffled and a man came out.

The deputies weren’t there to lock anyone up.

Deputy Christina Delgado handed out bags with essential items and snacks. She also checked on how the man was dealing with a burn wound.

The deputies were at the encampment to help arrange transportation for two residents, a couple living in a makeshift lean-to. The two were down on their luck and likely to miss upcoming court dates for relativity minor offenses because they don’t have a way to get there.

“Yeah, we can’t get there. But I want to get it taken care of,” the one man experiencing homelessness told deputies of his open case.

After some back and forth between deputies and emails to the public defender’s office and district attorney’s office, the law enforcement officials were able to get the warrants rescinded for the couple and get a new trial date set.

When it comes to the day of the trial, deputies will transport the two people to the Justice Center in Doylestown Borough or a district court to make sure they get before a judge.

Cpl. Todd Kessler was frank with the couple. He wanted to help them resolve their cases.

A third man then appeared from the woods and said he wanted to take care of a warrant. The reason it was issued: he didn’t have transportation and missed court.

Kessler and several other members of the sheriff’s office are part of the new Pathfinder Program that aims to connect deputies with the public and offer services to avert potentially volatile situations. The deputies taking part in the program – Kessler, Deputy Justin Sturkey, Deputy William Klein, and Delgado – are trained in crisis intervention and ready for the challenge.

In an interview with LevittownNow.com, Kessler and Sturkey said the Pathfinder Program specializes in working with vulnerable populations and those dealing with mental health emergencies.

“Reaching a safer outcome for everyone through communication, listening, understanding, and empathy,” read a slideshow used in training for the program.

More than a dozen deputies have been trained in the Pathfinder Program over the past year.

Kessler and Sturkey said policing could use a bit of a refresh, something that could benefit officers and the public, especially those in crisis.

“We don’t always have to focus on making people’s lives worse,” Sturkey said. “This is the future of law enforcement.”

A bit of kindness and understanding when warranted can go a long way, the deputies said.

Kessler said law enforcement officials are trained to act robotically in tense situations and, in many cases, that can make things worse. Tempers can flare, an upset person can grow angry, and actions that could have dangerous or even fatal consequences could go down.

“We want to show the public there is more to law enforcement than having all that gear on,” Kessler said. “We have to show people respect. We want them to show us respect.”

“Some people may say that’s not what police are for, but I disagree,” Sturkey stated. “We still have a job to, but we can focus too much on only one part of that job.”

The deputies go out into neighbors to talk with residents. They may stop to play a game of basketball with kids or help a resident carry something inside.

Sturkey said he doesn’t want to the only interaction with law enforcement some people have to be when a family member or neighbor is getting locked up.

Sturkey said the deputies try to be proactive and follow up with people they’ve dealt with before.

“Even if it’s 15 minutes. We want them to know we still care. They want to see someone knows,” Kessler said.

“We’re not letting them fall through the cracks,” Sturkey added.

In Pennsylvania, sheriff’s deputies serve a different role than police officers. Their duties often put them in contact with people not just experiencing criminal cases but difficult civil cases and evictions.

While on the road in 2019, Kessler and another deputy were sent to a home in Bensalem Township to serve someone with civil court paperwork.

Once they arrived, the two found the man in crisis. Upset about the situation, he came at the deputies with a knife.

Kessler and his fellow deputy quickly created distance with the armed man and talked him down.

“It could have ended very differently,” Kessler said. “It could have been a deadly force incident.”

“In my mind, I wasn’t in danger. He was,” the deputy stated. “I came to his house when he was in a bad spot. I needed to get him some help.”

Instead of filing charges against the man, whose outburst was an anomaly for him, the sheriff’s office made sure he got mental health treatment.

“They, by all rights, could have shot that guy. It would have been justified,” Sheriff Milt Warrell said. “But they didn’t and took him into custody without incident. It just goes to show you Cpl. Kessler’s dedication to the program.”

Kessler credited his training through the countywide Crisis Intervention Team (CIT), which offered to all law enforcement agencies. He also said his experience as a negotiator for one of the county’s tactical teams helped him maneuver the tense moments.

Kessler had a similar experience during an tense situation in the Levittown section of Falls Township not too long ago. Deputies and a man were ready to tussle, but he was able to talk the man down and get him help without either side getting hurt.

The deputies who are part of the Pathfinder Program are working to make contacts with other law enforcement agencies, government offices, health care providers, and nonprofit partners to have resources to help the Bucks Countians they encounter.

“We’re building a network,” Kessler said.

Andrea Jannetti, the first deputy public defender for the county, said the Pathfinder Program is terrific.

“The Pathfinders have provided transportation for our clients to treatment facilities, assisted us in communicating with clients who do not have phones, and have worked with the public defenders and district attorneys to help individuals get warrants rescinded and appear for their court dates,” she said.

Jannetti recalled one incident when a mentally ill man in the county prison needed treatment but he couldn’t get out of the facility because he didn’t have a verified address. Deputies from the Pathfinder Program worked with public defenders and social workers to get the man into treatment and verify an address. The deputies also drove the man to the treatment facility, offered him food, let him make a phone call, and waited until he could get in treatment.

Overall, the county has been investing more in similar programs. They are starting a mental health court, planning more options to divert those in crisis from the criminal justice system, and has started teaming social workers with police officers in Lower Bucks County.

However, Warrell, the sheriff, said the Pathfinder Program is different and compliments those other efforts.

Jannetti shared a similar viewpoint.

“There are a lot of great programs in Bucks County and elsewhere to help those in need, but I think the Pathfinder program is extremely unique. The program does not have a list of specific services it offers, but rather is just there to help with efficient and practical solutions to whatever the individual issue is at hand,” she said.

Warrell said the program saves taxpayer dollars through early intervention, helps citizens, and keeps residents and deputies safe.

“Almost everything we have to do is negative,” Warrell said. “There’s only a handful of things people want to see us for, so we’re inclined to see someone in crisis.”

The sheriff, whose term ends in early January, said the program needs more investment and growth in the future. He said he hopes the incoming sheriff will support the Pathfinder Program.

Kessler is a U.S. Army veteran who served in both Afghanistan and Iraq. He survived a vicious IED attack which blew up the Hummer he was in while on patrol. His time overseas left him dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) stateside.

Over the years, Kessler has learned to handle his PTSD, but he knows the struggles many people he deals with do first hand. He has also seen others he knows deal with mental health issues.

“To say Cpl. Kessler has a passion for this is an understatement,” Warrell said.

Kessler and Sturkey said they were inspired by HBO documentary “Ernie & Joe: Crisis Cops,” which follows two members of the San Antonio Police Department’s mental health unit.

The two Bucks County lawmen said they spoke with the stars of the documentary to learn from them.

“This is needed,” Sturkey said.

Not all deputies are going to embrace the program right away, Warrell said, but he believes it is part of the future of law enforcement.

The deputies have faced pushback among some members of law enforcement, and they know not everyone will understand the program.

“We faced skepticism left and right. We still face skepticism,” Kessler said.

Warrell said watching the HBO documentary changed his outlook after he was first approached about the program.

The deputies thanked Warrell for the support and believe the program has value in Bucks County.

Sturkey said the program is part of an effort to change law enforcement and better serve the community.

“We have to humanize law enforcement again,” Sturkey said. “It could be your mom, your wife, or it could be you in crisis tomorrow.”

“And, if you need us, we’ll be there.”

source: https://levittownnow.com/2021/12/22/deputies-take-different-approach-to-law-enforcement-through-new-program/

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