U.D. adds diversity with nine new police officers
Upper Darby officials swore in nine new police officers at a ceremony in Township Council Chambers Thursday morning.
“This is the most qualified and diverse class of officer candidates in Upper Darby history,” said Mayor Barbarann Keffer when introducing the new officers. “We are pleased to be welcoming the department’s first officer of South Asian descent, as well as several officers who are graduates of Upper Darby High School. They will all be a great addition to our renowned police department. They are setting a great example for others who aspire to public service, and they are helping us revitalize Upper Darby by serving the community in this capacity.”
In addition to the nine officers hired Thursday, the township plans on hiring 12 additional officers in June to replace retiring officers and to maintain the department level at 133 sworn police officers. In addition there are 23 non-sworn staff members that help with daily operations.
The starting salary for officers is $55,000 a year plus benefits.
“You have worked hard to get here and we appreciate your diligence and commitment,” Superintendent Timothy Bernhardt told the new officers before Keffer administered the oath of office. “Each of you represents the mayor’s vision for a more inclusive police department that reflects the community in which you will be serving. The Upper Darby Police Department is a family, and you are all now members of that family.”
The new officers are Elijah C. Brown, Joseph D. Girardi, Kevin K. Joby, Nicholas A. Moriconi, Daniel Mullarkey III, Maura O’Connell, Inderbir S. Randhawa, Matthew E. Terry, and Adam J. Wheatley.
O’Connell said she sought out a position with Upper Darby police because she knows that Upper Darby is a diverse and welcoming community.
Bernhardt said all of the new officers have the state-mandated ACT 120 training and certification. Most also have either a bachelor’s or associate’s degrees and many are already working in other county police departments. Randhawa was an officer in Darby, Wheatley was an officer in Folcroft, Girardi came from Sharon Hill, Brown came from Yeadon and Moriconi previously served in Aldan.
Two have Upper Darby roots. Wheatley is following in the footsteps of his father,
Officer Bob Wheatley. Randhawa is a graduate of Upper Darby High School.
Bernhardt said the new officers have been through a long road to get to this point. After applying, they took a physical agility test and then a written test. The applicants were interviewed and given a thorough background check, which includes a polygraph test, drug screening and mental health evaluation.
They will now undergo three months of training in Upper Darby.
“The new recruits will go through a field
training officer program which includes inhouse policy procedures, racial intelligence training, de-escalation training, firearm qualification and Taser training as well as then out on the street riding with officers, learning the township and how to do the job,” Bernhardt said.
Bernhardt said the pandemic made the process of hiring new officers more difficult.
“It was a difficult year with COVID, trying to get a facility to test, trying to get physical agility, trying to get interviews;
COVID created an obstacle we had to overcome,” he said.
Bernhardt said police in Upper Darby have always had a good relationship with the community and that will continue with the new officers.
“They come from a diverse background and with that comes different ideas and thoughts, which is a good thing. I welcome that for the police department,” Bernhardt said. “With the younger generation comes a different mindset, but it’s a good mindset. “