Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com
Bristol Township Council is expected to vote on the hiring of two new police officers at their next meeting.
The council is expected to vote on a resolution to hire two new cops when they meet on Thursday, September 17. The township’s Civil Service Commission recently forwarded the resolution onto the council.
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The two new officers, if hired, will still have to attend the police academy and will require training in the township, officials said at the recent Civil Service Commission meeting.
A third officer, who retired a little more than a year ago, is looking to return to the department on a full-time basis. The township administration is expected to further look at certain financial obligations the retired officer might have to pay back.
If the three officers join the force, the township would be at 60 officers patrolling the township of roughly 54,000 residents. The department lost two new hires – Officers Stephen Andrews and Thomas Leinhauser – earlier this year when Middletown hired them away and one officer retired recently.
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At the Civil Service Commission meeting, it was noted that Bristol Township’s police force is aging and there are few young officers.
Township police have seen their numbers decrease over the past several years due to layoffs, retirements and resignations.
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In 2014, Township Manager Bill McCauley and council announced they were adding several officers to the force. He cited adding more than more than a few officers would “devastate” the town’s finances.
At one time, Bristol Township had the largest police department in Bucks County. Currently, Bensalem has the largest department and the largest population.
