Lower Moreland Police presents hands-on Citizen’s Police Academy for Autism Cares Foundation

Approximately ten teens and young adults, along with parents or caregivers, gathered at the Youth Center across from the Lower Moreland Township Police Department to participate in the Citizen’s Police Academy, a four-week hands-on program, developed specifically for the Autism Cares Foundation. 

Held from March 2 through March 23, this Police Academy introduced participants to different aspects of law enforcement through presentations and interactive activities led by members of the Lower Moreland Township Police Department. For the department, the program represented its ongoing initiative to strengthen relationships with residents throughout this township.

Each week of the Police Academy focused on a different topic within law enforcement. The March 2 session focused on burglary and theft investigations. Rich Worthington, Lower Moreland Township Police Department’s Training Coordinator, presented an overview of the evening’s topic that culminated with participants taking their fingerprints on cards and then using brushes to dust for fingerprints. He described these classes as a “hybrid between a Citizen’s Police Academy and a Crime Scene Investigator Club”.

The March 9 session highlighted traffic enforcement, March 16 explored drug investigations and impaired driving, and the March 23 program concluded with a station tour, question-and-answer session and graduation for the participants.

This program offered participants a behind-the-scenes look at police work while enabling officers and community members to interact in a relaxed and educational setting. It also allowed officers to engage with families in a setting that was far different from the high-stress situations officers often encounter during their daily duties. 

The idea for this Citizen’s Police Academy idea grew out of a smaller pilot program, the CSI Club, held last year at the Huntingdon Valley Library. The pilot consisted of three sessions held between April and June 2025 and received such a positive response that the department expanded the concept into this four-week program.

Chief Scott C. Smith Sr. explained that these partnerships benefit both the community and the officers who take part in the sessions.

“It’s not just the children coming in; it’s often their parents too,” he said. “They all get to see what we are doing to assist officers when interacting with individuals on the autism spectrum. It’s definitely a different interaction and not something officers deal with every day, so it helps them understand what to expect.”

Smith added that community outreach programs play an important role in building trust between police officers and the people they serve. He refers to them as a community trust bank for good reason.

“The reason I think our outreach programs are so important is because if our community interacts with us in positive ways, it changes the way they view police,” Smith explained. “When people call us, it’s often on one of the worst days of their lives. These events build up that trust bank so they know we’re going to treat them properly and do everything we can for them during those most challenging times.”

“It’s good for people to see us in those outside community events and interact with us in a different way than what we traditionally have to interact with them,” he noted. “Sometimes people get different interpretations of what policing is because of things they see on television, but in a community like ours we often do things very differently.”

The Citizen’s Police Academy connects with other initiatives aimed at improving communication between officers and residents with special needs. One of those initiatives is the Blue Envelope Program, a countywide effort designed to help officers recognize when a driver they have stopped may have autism or another condition that affects communication.

Drivers participating in the program keep a blue envelope in their vehicle containing identification and information about how officers can best interact with them. When an officer sees the envelope during a traffic stop, it serves as an immediate visual cue that the driver may require a different approach.

“It helps bridge that gap so both sides understand what’s taking place,” Smith said. “If someone is not making eye contact or responding verbally the way an officer might expect, it could simply be related to their disability.”

Programs like the Citizen’s Police Academy are part of a broader effort by the Lower Moreland Township Police Department to stay actively engaged with the community. Officers regularly participate in a variety of outreach initiatives designed to create opportunities for residents to meet them in informal settings.

One of the most well-known programs is “Coffee with a Cop,” a national initiative the department has participated in since 2015. These gatherings are typically held at local establishments and provide residents with an opportunity to talk with officers, ask questions and discuss concerns about safety in the community.

The department has also recently hosted “Cones with a Cop” events at local ice cream and water ice shops, allowing families to meet officers while enjoying a treat. Another program, “Biking with the Blue,” has invited residents to ride bicycles alongside officers on local trails.

Outreach efforts extend to older residents as well. In November, officers held a senior scam prevention presentation at Gloria Dei Church on Welsh Road, where approximately 40 community members attended to learn about protecting themselves from fraud and identity theft.

Youth programs are also a major focus for the department. Two detectives currently serve as school resource officers within the Lower Moreland Township School District, working daily in the township’s four main schools and assisting nearby private and parochial schools as well.

“That’s probably our greatest program dealing with youth because the students see them every day,” Smith said. “When they see those officers again outside of school, they already know and trust them.”

Officers also visit schools throughout the year to speak with students and participate in programs such as Read Across America, where officers read to younger children in early March.

Another outreach initiative, known as Bus Stop Buddies, has involved officers riding school buses with students and talking with them about topics such as bullying and drug awareness. The department plans to bring that program back again at the end of this school year or beginning in September.

Looking ahead, the department is preparing to introduce a new community initiative this spring called “Stroll with Patrol.” The program will involve officers walking through local neighborhoods at scheduled times so residents can join them, ask questions and get to know them in a more casual environment.

“We want people to see the human side of police,” Smith said. “If they walk with us or talk with us during those events, they can learn why we do certain things and understand our role in the community.”

Smith noted that the department’s approach to community outreach is built into its culture, with all 27 officers encouraged to take part in events throughout the year.

“I want it to become second nature for our officers and for our township to expect it,” he said. “This is what the Lower Moreland Police Department does. We hold these events, we invite kids out, we invite adults out and we want everyone to feel welcome.”

Ultimately, Smith believes these connections make a meaningful difference when officers respond to calls for service.

“If someone has already had a positive interaction with us at a community event, they will remember that,” he said. “They will know we’re here to help them.”

Programs like the Citizen’s Police Academy, he added, are just one more way the department continues to build those relationships throughout Lower Moreland Township.

“We’re part of this community,” Smith said. “Our goal is to give the highest quality service we can while making every effort to get to know the people we serve.”