North Londonderry reviews invitation to collab with regional police department

This article was funded by LebTown donors as part of our Civic Impact Reporting Project.

North Londonderry Township Board of Supervisors reviewed an invitation to partner with a newly accredited regional police force at its monthly meeting on Sept. 15. 

Henri Lively, vice president of Annville’s Board of Commissioners, attended the meeting Monday night to extend an invitation to the township to partner with the Western Lebanon County Regional Police Department “for the greater good.” Lively also serves as secretary and treasurer for the WLCRPD.

Lively said he’s been building the WLCRPD for the past three years. The department was recently accredited on April 24 by the Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission. Accreditation helps institutions evaluate and improve their performance, according to the WLCRPD’s website.

Lively previously extended the invitation in a Sept. 10 email to the township and argued for the department’s “proactive” and “strength-in-numbers” approach.

“Palmyra and Annville have experienced greater efficiency and better policing since joining forces in 2024,” Lively wrote. “We warmly welcome you to open seats at this table.”

At the meeting, Lively urged the board to combine the township’s forces with the WLCRPD to create a 26-member police department in January, which in turn will provide more support to residents in the coverage area and more benefits to officers. 

Some of the advantages include better traffic safety and more manpower in the area, as well as growth opportunities for officers, Lively said. He said the collaboration would find more value for taxpayers at the same or less budgeted cost.

“Having a 26-member force would be a game changer,” he said. “I hope you take advantage of this opportunity and step up to the plate in this situation.”

Chairman William Buckfelder said he had reviewed the invitation and wasn’t sure if the collaboration would work. Buckfelder chalked it up to the differences in socioeconomic situation for Palmyra, Annville, and North Londonderry.

“We have to focus on what’s important for our residents,” Buckfelder said. “It’s a very different dynamic … we’re not the same.”

Buckfelder said the board will take another look at the invitation, and he plans to attend future WLCRPD meetings. The department currently has a five-member board and meets monthly on the second Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. at Palmyra Borough Council chambers, 325 S. Railroad St.

In other business:

• Police Chief Kevin Snyder said the department will participate in the National Drug Take-Back Day event on Oct. 25 at Penn State Health, 941 Park Drive, Palmyra. The event is sponsored by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Snyder said the station will have a collection box during business hours for residents to dispose of their medicines.
• Hoffer Road will be closed on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 27, from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. for the Palmyra Ice Hockey Club’s 5K race.
• Trick or Treat Night in the township (and all of Lebanon County) will take place on Friday, Oct. 31, from 6 to 8 p.m.
• The board canceled its road inspection meeting scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 1. Buckfelder said the board doesn’t have anything to discuss. 

North Londonderry Township Board of Supervisors will have its next regular monthly meeting at 655 E. Ridge Road on Oct. 20 at 7 p.m.