Special Services
Trained officers are assigned to special service functions for critical police protection services including:
- Officers trained to work with the Montgomery County Narcotics Enforcement Team (Net Team) to provide intervention, arrest and prosecution of persons providing dealing or using drugs that disrupt the quality of life issues of our community.
- Officers trained to respond as part of the Montgomery County Field Task Force for critical incidents. This unit is part of the Police Chiefs' Association of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania Mutual Aid Plan for responding to Homeland Security issues.
- Management of the North Penn Area Command Post, Unit C100, for dispatch to the area of a critical incident. Three officers are assigned as part of a team to provide an on-site communications coordination as part of an Incident Command or Unified Command emergency. Fourteen north east Montgomery County communities are served by this unit that also help interface communications and command with the Montgomery County Emergency Dispatch Center and their field units.
Bicycle Patrol Unit
Formed in 2003, the Bicycle Patrol Unit is comprised of six officers who, in addition to their regular duties, use bicycles to augment patrol. The bicycle officers provide coverage that cannot be obtained with a car and more efficiently than on foot. The unit is utilized at special functions including the Upper Gwynedd Township carnival, public events, and youth programs including the Junior Police Academy. Additionally, they are used to patrol parks and neighborhoods throughout the Township. The unit uses specially equipped Trek Mountain Bikes. Each officer is trained through the International Police Mountain Bike Association and annually qualifies with their firearms using a specially designed tactical course of fire.
C100 Command Post
In 1986, Upper Gwynedd Police Department, with the support of the Upper Gwynedd Township Board of Commissioners, coordinated a great experiment to assist local emergency service groups with a mobile command post for field management of critical incidents and also to support local special events. The command post coordinated radio communications in excess of one hundred fifty-eight times since 1990 between eleven police departments, many fire companies, and ambulance groups serving twelve North Penn Communities. The unit was funded through contributions of local businesses and individuals through the North Penn Chamber of Commerce.
After a two year fund-raising program in 2003, the 1970 Coachman Motor Home on which the command post was built was replaced by a new unit in 2005. Again, community support of Merck & Company, Inc., the North Penn Community Health Foundation, Colorcon, Inc., other businesses and individuals, municipal governments, and the North Penn Chamber of Commerce enabled the replacement of the vehicle from M.A. Brightbill Body Works, distributor for Turtletop, Inc., New Paris, Indiana with a new C100 Mobile Command Post from Turtletop. The unit is scheduled and maintained through Upper Gwynedd Township and responds with the North Penn Tactical Response Team on request from police jurisdictions in North Central and North East Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. The unit is also available to supplement the emergency management of critical incidents in Montgomery County. The vehicle is equipped with modern digital communications radios, telephone capability, office equipment, and with laptop computers with internet capability. Direct communication for police records checks through NCIC and CLEAN is also available with mobile data technology.
The following communities are served:
Franconia Township, Hatfield Township, Hatfield Borough, Lansdale Borough, Lower Gwynedd Township, Lower Salford Township, Marlborough Township, Montgomery Township, North Wales Borough, Souderton Borough, Telford Borough, Upper Gwynedd Township, Upper Perk Police District (East Greenville Borough and Pennsburg Borough).
