Falls Recognizes ‘Chief for the Day’ Students

For one day during the school year, elementary school students from Pennsbury and The Pen Ryn School get a first-hand look at life as the top cop through the police department’s Chief for the Day program.

Falls Supervisor Chairman Bob Harvie said the governing body wholeheartedly welcomed the program, which began in 2017.

“This was not a hard decision for us to say ‘absolutely,’ “ Harvie said.

Falls Township Police Chief William Wilcox recognized 17 fellow chiefs (for the day) during a Falls Township Supervisors meeting. Each of the six participating schools choose their respective chiefs. On the student’s given day as chief, Wilcox takes the student to District Judge Jan Vislosky’s court to be sworn in. Each takes an oath for the Falls Township Police Department. From there, students receive an ID and lanyard and begin their day as chief.

Student chiefs have the opportunity to meet with lieutenants and answer questions.

“It necessitated them making decisions,” Chief Wilcox said. “They made great decisions.”

Perhaps the biggest decision was what to eat.

“They had their choice of whatever they wanted for lunch,” Wilcox said.

As chief, students also have the opportunity to see the department’s weaponry and gain a better understanding of fingerprinting and DNA. Kids also tour the processing room where prisoners are taken, get to see evidence and receive a tour around Falls Township.

The 2018 Chief for the Day participants were: Ty Decker, Juliana Massari, Nida Ayub, Max Whittle, Alaina Nagata, Ava Apelt, Kieran Shaw, Marceli Dzieniszewski, Grace Holmes, Angelina Hill, Chloe Salton, RJ Gore, Maddy Trunfio, Ali Capriotti, Fiona Bunnell, Aiden Anelauskas and Joe Beitler.