Middle Township Announces Police Hires, Plan for Community Engagement Committee

COURT HOUSE – At the Aug. 17 Middle Township Committee Meeting, leaders will announce steps to reinforce their commitment to the police department and the community it serves.
According to a release, the township is hiring four full-time police officers. Township Committee also will introduce an ordinance designed to formalize a partnership between police and the community.
The Middle Township Law Enforcement Community Engagement Committee would consist of nine appointed volunteers. 
“The committee would give a voice to a diverse group with a shared mission – to foster trust and mutual respect between the police and the community,” according to the ordinance. 
A second reading of the ordinance, along with a public hearing and consideration for adoption, will be held Sept. 21. 
“The good people of Middle Township should be rest assured that we have no intentions of cutting funding to our police department,” Mayor Timothy Donohue stated. “The hiring of several new officers tonight, combined with the introduction of an ordinance to establish our police-community engagement committee, confirms our commitment to sustaining a proactive police department dedicated to the principles of community policing in every township neighborhood.” 
Middle Township Police Chief Christopher M. Leusner described his department’s officers as some of the best in the nation, and commended “their commitment to Police Youth Engagement and trauma-informed practices.”      
“We welcome these new officers to the department, and I thank Mayor Donohue and Township Committee for their commitment to the Middle Township Police Department,” he stated.
The community engagement committee initiative is a result of continuing conversations among police, Township Committee and the community. George Floyd’s death and the resulting national calls for racial justice led to a series of forums, town halls and listening sessions over the last three months, in Middle Township. The dialogue began with a June 1 peaceful demonstration, in Rio Grande, that gained national attention after ending in a prayer circle between police and protesters. 
The Law Enforcement Community Engagement Committee would meet on a quarterly basis and hold biannual public meetings with township residents to hear their concerns and ideas.
The committee would include a liaison from the Middle Township Police Department, local clergy, an educator, a representative from the Concerned Citizens of Whitesboro, a member of the local chapter of the NAACP, a representative from the township’s social service partners, and three appointed Middle Township residents. The committee would start with four members serving a three year-term, three members serving a two-year term, and two members serving a one-year term.
All future or reappointed members would serve three-year terms that begin at the start of a new year. 
The Law Enforcement Community Engagement Committee won’t make policies, and it won’t have the power to hire or spend government funds.
The Middle Township Police Department would work with the committee by providing an accounting of police interaction within the community, information on new and existing programs, and would collaborate with the committee to strengthen police-community communication.
Leusner explained that community engagement is nothing new for his department. 
“The Middle Township Police Department has been committed to community problem-oriented Policing for many years,” he stated. “Community problem-oriented policing is not a program; it is a philosophy. We invest in not only enforcement but also intervention and education and prevention efforts.”   
Leusner believes the new panel would provide another valuable layer of cooperation between police and the community.
“I look forward to adding the Police Community Engagement Committee to the list of our community partners we work with to make Middle Township a safe and healthy community for all residents.”