Colonel Robert Evanchick, commissioner of the Pennsylvania State Police, recently announced the addition of four full-time Heritage Affairs Liaison Officers (HALOs) to the department’s Heritage Affairs Section.
The mission of the Heritage Affairs Section is to build relationships with historically underserved communities throughout the commonwealth and to work with local law enforcement agencies to prevent and investigate hate and bias-related crimes. Section members also lead the department’s training on implicit bias awareness and de-escalation techniques.
“Establishing lines of communication to facilitate meaningful collaboration with local leaders is an important part of community policing, which is why we have dedicated additional resources to the Heritage Affairs Section,” said Evanchick. “Troopers were hand-picked to fill these roles. Their backgrounds reflect the diversity of Pennsylvania, and they will continue to be at the forefront of the department’s efforts to make meaningful connections within the communities we serve.”
Led by section commander Lieutenant William Slaton, each HALO is assigned to a specific part of the state.
Corporal Timothy Greene is the Southeast Heritage Affairs Liaison Officer, assigned to Bucks County, as well as Berks, Chester, Delaware, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Montgomery, Northampton, Philadelphia, Schuylkill and York counties. A former firefighter and paramedic, Greene became the first minority fire chief of Concordville Fire Company in Delaware County at the age of 24. He joined the state police in 2004 and previously served as the Troop K public information officer and community services officer. Greene is active in the department’s Camp Cadet program.
“We hope the varied backgrounds and experiences of the HALO team will help us connect with historically underserved communities in an authentic and productive way,” said Slaton. “In addition to proactive community outreach, the Heritage Affairs Section continues to work closely with local police departments to prevent and investigate hate crimes, as well as respond to incidents of civil unrest or community tension.”
Visit psp.pa.gov for more information.
