Drug Abuse Resistance Education
D.A.R.E. is a program that was started in 1983 in Los Angeles, California and is now taught in 43 countries. It is a police officer-led series of classroom lessons that teaches children from kindergarten…how to resist peer pressure and live productive drug and violence-free lives. (from dare.com)
North Lebanon Police have been involved in Drug Abuse Resistance Education, or D.A.R.E., since 1996, when the program was started by Detective Sergeant John Leahy. Currently, Officer Nicholas Gallese is the certified DARE instructor in the department, teaching 5th-grade students in both Union Canal and Ebenezer Elementary Schools.
North Lebanon Township Police Chaplain
I have had the privilege of serving as the police chaplain for the township police department since October 2006. I am often asked to explain my role and responsibility as a police chaplain. I hope the following paragraphs will satisfy any questions you may have regarding the role of a police chaplain.
No one is confronted with more situations that create physical and emotional stress than those who serve in law enforcement. This stress affects the officer, his or her family, and other members of the department. A police chaplain is a member of the clergy with specialized training to provide pastoral care in the unique and dangerous world of law enforcement.
The police chaplain provides a source of strength to the law enforcement officers and their families, other department members, and the community. Chaplains participate in the workplace of law enforcement officers by listening and advising in areas of marriage and the family. They also help with spiritual matters, when requested.
Law enforcement chaplains do some or all of the following:
- Counsel law enforcement officers
- Counsel other department personnel
- Counsel the families of law enforcement officers
- Visit sick or injured officers and departmental personnel in homes and hospitals
- Assist with ride-a-longs
- Make death notifications
- Provide assistance to victims of crime
- Serve as part of a department’s Crisis Response Team
- Assist at suicide incidents
- Respond to spiritual questions when asked
- Offer prayers at special occasions when requested
My role as a police chaplain is on a volunteer basis and therefore is of no cost to the department or the community. If you would like further information about the role of a police chaplain, feel free to contact me at the e-mail address provided. I am also a member of the International Conference of Police Chaplains. Further information can be found on their website: www.icpc4cops.org
Sincerely,
Chaplain Dean Cover
Motor Carrier Safety Enforcement
North Lebanon Police routinely conduct commercial motor vehicle safety inspections and vehicle weight details. The purpose of these details is to ensure that commercial motor vehicles traveling through North Lebanon Township have safe equipment, and are not a hazard to the motoring public. One of the most important checks is brake adjustment, which is being inspected by Sergeant Koons in the left photo below. The vehicle pictured below right, a 2016 Ford F-250, was purchased in conjunction with South Lebanon Police. It carries all of the equipment and forms necessary to inspect vehicles. It also carries a set of scales, allowing vehicles to be weighed at a safe location along the road, instead of traveling to a fixed scale. It also carries equipment used in Motor Vehicle Accident Reconstruction. Currently, North Lebanon Police have 2 certified Commercial Motor Vehicle Inspectors: Sergeant Duane Koons and Sergeant Andrew Herberg. Various other officers are certified as weigh masters. Their services are provided to other law enforcement agencies, upon request.
Motor Vehicle Accident Reconstruction
You may see the Motor Carrier Enforcement Vehicle at a crash scene and wonder why. In addition to the inspection equipment and scales, this vehicle is outfitted with equipment used to conduct Motor Vehicle Accident Reconstruction.
When a vehicle accident involves serious injury, unusual circumstances, or a fatality, Sergeant Duane Koons, Sergeant Andrew Herberg, and Officer Robert Hilbert are called to the scene. All three officers have been State certified to conduct in-depth vehicle accident investigations or Accident Reconstruction.
By measuring skid marks, analyzing the road surface, vehicle damage, and weather conditions, among other factors, these officers can explain details of how an accident occurred. All three officers are also members of the Lebanon County Serious Traffic Accident Reconstruction Team(S.T.A.R.T.)
Lebanon County SWAT
North Lebanon currently has five officers who are also members of the county swat team. Officers Stephen Gross, Blake Innocent, and Clayton Himmelberger are team operators assisting with high risk calls that are received by police departments within the county. Officer Nicholas Gallese is also a member of the team serving as a negotiator. The team recently received a new vehicle, a 2022 Lenco Bearcat, pictured below.
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