6 New Bristol Twp. Police Officers Join Force

BRISTOL TOWNSHIP, PA —The Bristol Township Police Department is bolstering its ranks.

At last week's Bristol Township Council meeting, Police Chief Robert Coulton introduced four officers who were ceremoniously sworn in before family and friends by Judge Kevin Wagner.

The new officers are Nicholas Lapergola, William Beck, Stephanie Orman, and Brendan Kelly. Meanwhile, at a previous council meeting, Police Officers Junior Rivas-Breton and Michael Leonhauser were sworn in.

The biographical information on the police officers is as follows:

Officer Nicholas Lapergola

Officer Lapergola was raised in Langhorne, graduating from Neshaminy High School in 2018. He attended Kutztown University, majoring in Criminal Justice, and received a bachelor’s degree in 2022. Prior to attending the police academy, Lapergola worked in security at Sesame Place. He graduated from the Temple Police Academy on Oct. 13 and is currently in field training assigned to the patrol division.

Officer William Beck

Officer Beck was born and raised in Northeast Philadelphia. Beck graduated from Archbishop Ryan High School and attended Gwynedd Mercy University, earning a bachelor’s degree in criminology. He graduated from the Philadelphia Police Academy in March 2018 and worked as a police officer in the 25th Police District before being hired by the Bristol Township Police Department. Beck is currently assigned to the patrol division.

Officer Stephanie Orman

Officer Orman was raised in East Norriton. She attended and graduated from Widener University, earning a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and sociology in 2023. Orman graduated from the Temple Police Academy in March 2023. Prior to being hired by the Bristol Township Police Department, Orman worked as a police officer in Tullytown Borough. She is assigned to the patrol division.

Officer Brendan Kelly

Officer Kelly was born and raised in Northeast Philadelphia. Kelly graduated in 2012 from Delran High School in New Jersey. Kelly graduated from the Philadelphia Police Academy in March 2018 and served as a police officer in the 39th Police District prior to being hired by the Bristol Township Police Department. Kelly is currently assigned to the patrol division.

Officer Junior Rivas-Breton

Officer Rivas-Breton grew up in Warwick, RI, and graduated from Toll Gate High School in 2014, where he was an All-American baseball player and excelled in track and field. After high school, Rivas-Breton moved to Philadelphia and enrolled in the Temple University Police Academy, graduating in October 2022. Before joining the Bristol Township Police Department, Rivas-Breton worked as a full-time police officer in Tullytown Borough for seven months.

Officer Michael Leonhauser

Officer Leonhauser was born and raised in Bristol Township and graduated from Harry S. Truman High School in 2020. Leonhauser obtained an associate degree in criminal justice from Bucks County Community College in May 2022. He comes from a large family of police officers that inspired him to join the law enforcement ranks. In June 2023 Leonhauser graduated from the Montgomery County Police Academy and was hired by the Bristol Township Police Department on Aug. 15. We look forward to watching Officer Leonhauser serve his hometown community for the next 25-30 years.