A Visit with the Upper Darby Police

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Upper Darby Police Station

Upper Darby Police Superintendent Mike Chitwood offered to take Ignacio and I on a tour of the Upper Darby Police Station and learn a little about the day to day operations of the police department.  Upper Darby Township is a large, ethnically diverse community where over 70 languages are spoken.  The Township borders on the western part of Philadelphia and encompasses approximately 8 square miles. 

Upper Darby Police Chief Mike Chitwood and Ignacio

While speaking with Mike we learned that the Upper Darby Police Department currently employs 131 officers and  responds to over 70,000 calls for service per year.  UDPD has a Motorcycle Patrol Unit (in which Igancio was particulary interested), a SWAT team, a K9 unit and a Mountain Bike Unit. 

While at the Police Station we met with Sgt. Scott Lewis who explained the steps involved in processing a suspect.  This included a first hand demonstration of the fingerprinting process for Ignacio and a set of souvenir fingerprints!





Another highlight of the day was the ride in the Police car with Capt. Anthony Paparo.  We took a short tour around the neighborhood surrounding the Police Station and talked about the protocol for how the officers respond to calls and how having a visible police presence in the community can help deter criminals.

Thanks Captain Paparo and Sergeant Lewis for taking the time to meet with us for sharing your knowledge and expertise.

A special thanks to Police Superintendent Michael Chitwood for making the day happen!