Falls Township officials recently recognized some local elementary school students who had a first-hand look at life as the top cop of the township’s police department.
Falls Township Police Chief William Wilcox was instrumental in welcoming students into The Chief for the Day program which began in January with students from the Pennsbury School District and The Pen Ryn School.
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Each of the six participating schools chose their respective chiefs for the program.
On the student’s given day as chief, Wilcox would take the student to District Judge Jan Visolsky’s court to be sworn in, just as an officer would do when accepting a position with the department. From there, students receive an ID and lanyard and begin their day as chief. The ID and lanyards for students would make them feel responsible and involved. Student chiefs have the opportunity to meet with lieutenants and answer questions.
“It necessitated them making decisions,” said Chief Wilcox. “They made great decisions.”
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As chief, students also have the opportunity to see the department’s weaponry and gain a better understanding of fingerprinting and DNA. Kids also tour the processing room where prisoners are taken, get to see evidence and receive a tour around Falls Township.
Wilcox, along with supervisors from Falls Township, recognized 17 participants at a recent board meeting.
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Falls Supervisor Chairman Bob Harvie said the governing body wholeheartedly welcomed the program, “This was not a hard decision for us to say ‘absolutely,” said Harvie.
The 2018 Chief for the Day participants were: Ty Decker, Juliana Massari, Nida Ayub, Max Whittle, Alaina Nagata, Ava Apelt, Kieran Shaw, Marceli Dzieniszewski, Grace Holmes, Angelina Hill, Chloe Salton, RJ Gore, Maddy Trunfio, Ali Capriotti, Fiona Bunnell, Aiden Anelauskas and Joe Beitler.
