Part-Time Police Officer Added To Yardley Ranks

YARDLEY, PA —The Yardley Borough Police Department has added another member to the force.

The department hired part-time police officer James Routh, who was sworn in at the Borough Council meeting Tuesday night, Police Chief Joseph Kelly III said.

Routh, of Newtown, is a 2001 graduate of High Point University in North Carolina, where he earned a bachelor's degree in psychology. He is also a 2021 graduate of the Temple Police Academy.

Routh has many years of experience as a mental health counselor prior to attending the police academy, the chief said.

“Officer Routh’s extensive experience in counseling is a welcomed asset in an age when police officers are assisting with social service response and referrals,” Kelly said.

In late February, the police department hired Lucas Murrayto replace Heather Carnivale, who left in mid-October to take a full-time post with the Lower Southampton Township Police Department.

At the time of Murray's hiring, Kelly said that Andrew Nagle has left the department as a part-time officer to join full-time with the Upper Makefield Township Police Department.

Last October, police officer Dakota B. Romberger was promoted to the full-time ranks. In September, Yardley hired Robert Gergal Jr. as a part-time police officer.