|
Commitment to Youth
D.A.R.E.
(Drug Abuse Resistance Education)
 Specially-trained
Abington police officers teach the D.A.R.E. curriculum in all Abington
School District facilities as well as five private schools located
within the Township. With twenty uniformed officers providing instruction
at a dozen area schools, Abington is the only police agency in Pennsylvania
that offers D.A.R.E. to 100% of its local elementary, middle, and
high school students.
A new initiative is the D.A.R.E. Parent Program, which is now being
taught at selected sites. This six-week course teaches mothers and
fathers of school age children how to support and supplement the
D.A.R.E. training received by their children.
For further information about the Abington Police Department's
D.A.R.E. Program, email Community Policing Coordinator Jack
Murphy or call 267-536-1071.
Abington
Community Task Force - A Community That Cares
 The
Abington Community Taskforce (ACT) is a coalition of parents and
Abington-based educational, religious, social service, recreational,
and civic agencies, as well as the Abington Police. Its mission
is to create within Abington a responsible, caring, and safe community.
ACT also serves as the governing board for Abington's Communities
That Care initiative. Abington Township was the first Township in
Pennsylvania to be accepted into the Commonwealth's Communities
That Care program.
Some of ACT's initiatives include the establishment of programs
designed to teach effective parenting skills; the development of
peer counseling services; increasing opportunities for safe community
activities for young people; and creating programs to increase awareness
and respect for diversity within our community.
Abington
Police Department Police Athletic League (PAL)
 The
Abington Police Athletic League (PAL), a non-profit community organization
formed in 2001, seeks to prevent juvenile crime and violence while
encouraging personal growth among our young people. PAL centers,
staffed by APD and community volunteers, offer structured, personal
guidance in a safe, friendly environment. PAL offers a wide range
of physical and intellectual activities that address the needs of
Abington's youth.
 Providing
positive adult role models is a critical component of our PAL efforts.
In Abington, law enforcement officers and community volunteers work
with young people to encourage positive development as members of
the local community.
While Abington PAL is sponsored through the Abington Township Police
Department, PAL receives no direct funding. As such, PAL is dependent
on volunteer support from community-minded individuals, business
leaders, corporations and foundations. 
If you are interested in making a contribution to PAL, serving
as a PAL volunteer, or would like further information, please email
Community Service Program Manager Mary
Carminati or call 267-536-1073.
Youth Aid
Panel
 Abington's
Youth Aid Panel is composed entirely of concerned adult volunteers
who are members of the Abington community. Now in its third year,
the Youth Aid Panel provides an alternative to the juvenile court
system in dealing with first time offenders who commit specified
minor violations. The panel works to prevent juvenile offenders
from becoming more involved in delinquent activities and also makes
the juvenile offender responsible for his/her actions through a
specific service to the victim and the community. If you are interested
in serving on the Youth Aid Panel, or for more information, email
Community Policing Coordinator Jack
Murphy or call 267-536-1071.
School
Resource Officers
 Thanks
to the cooperation and commitment of the Abington School District,
Abington P.D. has full-time School Resource Officers (SRO's) assigned
to both the Abington Junior and Senior High Schools. Our SRO's provide
a uniformed police presence, and serve as visible, positive role
models for the school population. The addition of the SRO complements
the Abington Police Department's commitment to ongoing school-based
outreach programs such as D.A.R.E., the Community Partnership of
Youth and Adults, and 24 Hour Relay Challenge.
In addition to working with students, faculty, parents, and community
groups, SRO's identify and address risk factors that contribute
to criminal behavior or substance abuse among Abington students.
In addition, the SRO's assist in the planning and implementation
of school activities by serving as a link to outside community,
civic, and governmental resources. In this manner the APD, School
District, students, parents, and community will work in partnership
to develop an atmosphere of positive, pro-social behavior.
Working primarily in uniform, the SRO provides a visible symbol
that the police and schools are mutually committed to providing
a safe learning environment. In addition, the SRO will serve as
a liaison between the schools and the police department.
Community
Partnership of Youth & Adults (CPYA)
The Community Partnership of Youth and Adults (C.P.Y.A.) works
to mobilize interested and responsible citizens of all ages through
activities that enhance community spirit. Goals of C.P.Y.A. include
fostering inter-generational respect; developing community service
projects; offering safe activities for youth; raising individual
self-esteem; and building a sense of empowerment through participation
in community activities and service projects.
C.P.Y.A. is based at the Abington Junior and Senior High Schools,
and is under the supervision of Abington P.D.'s School Resource
Officers. Over the years the organization has carried out a number
of successful activities, including the annual Rock-a-Thon. In this
unique fund-raiser, teams of students keep a decorated rocking chair
in motion for twelve consecutive hours.
Kids In
Safety Seats (K.I.S.S.)
 Is
your child protected by a safety seat when traveling in a vehicle?
Many deaths and injuries suffered by children could be avoided with
the correct use of child safety seats and seat belts. Unfortunately,
many parents are unaware they are using safety restraints incorrectly,
thereby placing their child at risk needlessly. In fact, studies
have shown that four out of five car seats are installed or used
incorrectly.
 The
Abington Township Police Department recently established the Kids
in Safety Seats (K.I.S.S.) program. The program is designed to ensure
that child safety seats and seat belts are used correctly to prevent
injury and save lives. The Police Department's inspection and proper
fitting of child safety seats is sponsored by Citizens and Police
Together (C.A.P.T.). A $20 donation is requested for the service.
For additional information on child safety seats contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. To schedule an inspection and fitting,
please email Community Service Supervisor Dave
Rondinelli or call 267-536-1074.
Safety Seat Recalls
Is your child seat truly safe? You may check for current product
recalls by the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Community Partnerships
Crime Prevention
 Wouldn't
it be great if we could prevent our citizens from ever becoming
crime victims?
At the Abington Police Department, that's our goal. While Abington
Township is a very safe place to live and work, crime does happen
sometimes. To help prevent victimization, Abington police officers
work with residents and businesses to promote
Crime prevention is the science of recognizing what criminals look
for and then reducing or eliminating such opportunities in a practical
way. The more we can do to make it harder for the thief by increasing
the time, visibility or noise factors, the more we are going to
discourage him/her from selecting our residence, business, or ourselves
as a target in the first place. Thus, we can discourage the thief
by being smart enough to reduce opportunity by being prepared.
The Abington Police Department can assist with you with helpful
information on ways to safeguard your property and your life. For
specific crime prevention tips contact Officer Joe Conover at 267-536-1075.
Citizens
& Police Together (C.A.P.T.)
 C.A.P.T.
(Citizens and Police Together) is a local, non-profit organization
which offers financial and volunteer support for many of the Abington
Township Police Department's community projects. C.A.P.T. is dedicated
to reducing crime and the fear of crime, by strengthening the Abington
community through organized community events, educational and awareness
programs, and intergenerational activities for youth and adults.
C.A.P.T. also coordinates events and resources which are intended
to foster an ongoing partnership between the Abington community
and the Abington Township Police Department. Leadership for C.A.P.T.
is provided by a panel of community stakeholders representing schools,
businesses, health care organizations, local youth, and individual
community volunteers.
As such, C.A.P.T. has taken a leadership role in a number of key
projects, including the annual 24 Hour Relay Challenge. The Challenge
provides funding for community mini-grants as well as Police Department’s
programs such as the Citizens Police Academy and D.A.R.E. For more
information about C.A.P.T. and its activities, e-mail Community
Policing Coordinator Jack
Murphy or call 267-536-1071.
24-Hour
Relay Challenge
 This
successful and unique C.A.P.T. program established in 1995 brings
together youth and adults in a community fundraising event that
occurs in an atmosphere free of drugs, alcohol, tobacco and violence.
Participants form 10-person teams with one member continuously walking,
running or jogging around a track for 24 hours. Entertainment, food
and fun abound in a spirit of community cooperation. Months of planning
and preparation go into making this annual event a reality. Students,
adults, the Abington School District, and the community all work
together, raising funds which improve the Abington community in
the form of C.A.P.T. grants and initiatives. For more information
about the 24-Hour Relay Challenge, e-mail Community Policing Coordinator
Jack Murphy or call 267-536-1071.
Town Watch
 Abington
Township is fortunate to have a well-established Town Watch program.
Dedicated Town Watch members volunteer their time to patrol their
neighborhood. Town Watch members report suspicious behavior, making
their neighborhoods safer in the process. A Townwatch Council meets
monthly to help coordinate the activities of the Township's various
active Town Watch groups. For further information, e-mail Townwatch
Council President David
Rondinelli or call 267-536-1074.
Citizens'
Police Academy
 To
the average citizen, the police profession often seems cloaked in
mystery. Public perception can be misguided by the unrealistic exploits
seen on TV cop shows or skewed by anti-police sentiments. Here at
APD we've learned that the best way to help the taxpayers learn
the "inside scoop" about law enforcement is by actually
bringing them inside the organization for a ten-week course in modern
policing.
Each year the Abington Police Department offers a Citizens’
Police Academy (CPA). In the program, Township residents meet on
a weekly basis with Police Officer instructors for lessons on various
aspects of the law enforcement profession. Subjects include criminal
and traffic law, the police role in the judicial process, APD equipment,
training, resources and limitations of the police department. In
return, the instructors often find a newly-developed law enforcement
awareness among participants, as well as an increased sensitivity
to the challenges of 21st Century policing. The increased citizen-police
understanding that results from the close interaction of the CPA
environment is an excellent vehicle for building bridges between
the police and the community.
 Not
surprisingly, program alumni often volunteer to assist with future
projects for APD and the community. Graduates are also encouraged
to participate as block captains leading their neighborhood to crime
prevention information, awareness and educational programs. For
more information or to register for Citizens' Police Academy, e-mailSgt.
Daniel Buckley or call 267-536-1077.
Volunteers
in Policing (V.I.P.)
 In
an effort to enhance the police-community partnership, the Volunteers
in Policing Program (VIP) combines the professionalism and experience
of APD personnel with the creativity and enthusiasm of community
volunteers.
It's fair to say that citizen volunteers are one of the Police
Department's most important assets. Many of our programs would not
exist without the participation of dedicated volunteers. In 2005,
for example, citizens donated 11,382 hours of their time to the
Police Department efforts within the Abington community.
APD provides all training and equipment required for its volunteers.
Hours are flexible.
Volunteer Positions:
- Fingerprint technician: does non-criminal fingerprinting
- General Clerical Assistance: assists with clerical duties
and special projects
- Community Services Unit Volunteer: assists with Neighborhood
Watch and Crime Prevention efforts
Interested citizens are encouraged to e-mail Community Service
Supervisor David Rondinelli
or call 267-536-1074 for an application or information regarding
the V.I.P. program.
Victim Services
Unit
The
Victim Services Unit assists victims immediately after the crime,
assuring that the victim is treated with respect and dignity. Victim
Service personnel also help crime victims take their first steps
toward regaining physical and emotional well-being.
The Victim Services Unit is staffed by Community Service Officers
who provide information on Pennsylvania's Victim Compensation Program
and link victims with community resources. For further information
e-mail Community Service Officer Jan Harris or call 267-536-1079.
C.A.R.E.
(Crimes Against the Retired and Elderly)
The Crimes Against the Retired and Elderly Unit (CARE) program
teaches senior citizens how to protect themselves from becoming
victims of crime. C.A.R.E. focuses on preventing crimes that often
target seniors as victims. For further information, e-mail Community
Service Supervisor David
Rondinelli or call 267-536-1074.
|
