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CODY: Executive Q&A with Chief David Steffen of the Northern Lancaster County Regional Police Department
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Executive Q&A with Chief David Steffen of the Northern Lancaster County Regional Police Department
At CODY, we believe that the real test of our software is how it supports the missions of the departments who use it every day. In this Executive Q&A, we talk to Chief David Steffen of Northern Lancaster County Regional PD, CODY user since 2018.
1. Where is your department located?
The NLCRPD departmental headquarters is a modern police facility located at 860 Durlach Road in Clay Township. We also operate substations in East Petersburg Borough, Warwick Township, Penn Township, and at the largest auto auction facility in the world at the Manheim Auto Auction.
2. What is the size and structure of the department?
We are a full-service police agency as defined by the DCED standards, our team employs only full time sworn officers and features 31 full time officers including 20 patrol officers, 4 Corporals, 2 Sergeants, 3 criminal investigators, 1 Lieutenant, 1 Chief of Police. 1 Community Service Officer, 1 Administrative Assistant, 2 Support Service Unit members and 4 Educational Services Unit members. In 2019 the NLCRPD attained accredited status with the Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission. Our team provides high quality police services for over 42,500 citizens who reside in Clay Township, Penn Township, Warwick Township, and East Petersburg Borough in Lancaster County. Our jurisdiction is over 100 square miles and including diverse rural, commercial, residential, high-density housing and recreational / conservation areas.
3. How long have you been Chief of Police at Northern Lancaster County Regional PD?
Our agency was founded in 2012, I was selected to be the first Chief of Police for the new agency and was
Chief David Steffen, Northern Lancaster County Regional Police Department
afforded the unique opportunity to design and build a regional police agency from a zero-based starting point. Prior to appointment to this position I was a member of the Northern York County Regional Police Department for over 28 years in a wide array of operational and administrative capacities.
4. What motivated you to choose a career in LE?
I started out with the goal of becoming a police officer and attending law school. The challenge of advancing police
Sgt. Rodney J. King, Northern Lancaster County Regional Police Department
services in a regional police setting was so rewarding, all other career options faded in attractiveness. Really - what other career allows skill development and application across as wide a variety of disciplines as professional policing.
5. What is the mission of NLCRPD? (this is directly from our field guide)
We the members of the Northern Lancaster County Regional Police Department value our community, the rule of law, and understand and accept the responsibility of the protection of our community, and the citizens we serve. We understand the responsibility of providing the communities we serve with the highest level of police services in the spirit of inter-municipal cooperation. We embrace the traditions of the past and use technology of the future to accomplish our mission. We understand that police services need to have accountability, transparency, and a professional basis of delivery in order to earn and preserve the public trust. We the members of the Northern Lancaster County Regional Police Department accept these defining principles as we strive to complete the police mission.
6. In what ways have you used modern technology to support that mission?
From the outset the NLCRPD goal was to provide remote reporting and web-based applications to accomplish our mission. The agency planned for success on a strategic level and technology utilization was a large part of our ultimate objective. As a part of this process, the agency implemented e new RMS platform from CODY Systems that allowed integration of data from all available technology into the RMS for both reporting and analytics. This required the ability of the RMS to process body worn camera, mobile vehicle recorders, taser cameras, and computer aided dispatch data while being able to search integrated information systems on a regional basis. the total solution also included integrated electronic traffic ticketing solutions, geo-fencing, and Live scan and CPIN compatibility within the NLCRPD headquarters-based booking facility. One of the value-added facets CODY has provided is the analytics and crime analysis tools available – features you wouldn’t expect from an RMS platform. In a regional service delivery scheme, effectiveness requires the ability to provide specific data, time metrics, and other measurable outcomes. CODY has proven to be reliable CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
Cpl. Administrative Support Services Gail Obetz, Northern Lancaster County Regional Police Department
Adam Webber, Northern Lancaster County Regional Police Department
and flexible in providing this solution. In addition, CODY has allowed the NLCRPD to create templates for reporting that meet all of our policy and PLEAC standards in an easy to use application that merges well with our Power DMS policy and accreditation platform.
7. Are there technology initiatives you are looking to spearhead in the near future?
Almost all agency applications are cloud based, including our RMS system, and we intend to continue in that direction, while we have achieved many of our objectives, utilization of CODY and AXON with integrated data from our LPR platforms and other applications is being focused upon for expanded use and measurable outcomes. Our agency plan means that we will be expanding our current five-year initial service agreement for RMS and look inward to increased utilization of the many tools CODY has available for patrol officers, criminal investigators and administrators alike.
8. How has your agency responded to the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic?
There have been challenges in development of screening directives for employees, prisoners, and other needs specific to the COVID-19 pandemic. The ever-changing accomplishing of these tasks particularly in the early days of March into April required constant monitoring of best practices and a wide array of information. Thankfully, we were able to leverage our investment if CODY RMS to create unique reports and update our agency codes used throughout the system to measure COVID-19 related events. This data is used for reporting and community awareness and engagement as it was
There have been challenges in development of screening directives for employees, prisoners, and other needs specific to the COVID-19 pandemic.
released on the agency web page for public understanding of various dates, and have now become a standard part of the agency monthly reporting procedures.
9. What is the most rewarding part of your job?
Enjoying the scope of community engagement, cooperation, and expansion of intermunicipal cooperation beyond the police services delivery field. Personally, the greatest reward is observing the professional development of officers and the agency, while keeping the job both rewarding and exciting, and requiring active engagement of agency members in a team-based environment from my leadership position. Encouraging change, thinking outside the box and looking forward for great things from a personal and agency perspective from our dedicated team is an agency expectation as we move forward.
To learn more about this project, please feel free to contact Chief Steffen at SteffenD@nlcrpd.org. Visit CODY’s website: www.codysystems.com or give us a call 610.326.7476.
