Guest Speakers

The Treasure in the Trauma

March 17th, 2017 was my darkest day. In the depths of despair, I was ready to surrender to the shadows. Yet, a timely call from a friend, became the catalyst for a profound transformation. This is not just a story of survival but a celebration of resilience, empathy, and the daily commitment to make a positive impact in someone’s life every day. This presentation discusses issues involving mental health and most importantly how you address trauma. No matter what our career or circumstance, trauma can leave us lost, broken, and alone. But, what if we shift our perspective and look at trauma through a Post Traumatic Growth mindset and work to turn pain into progress, obstacles into opportunity, and our mess into a message? We all have our own personal story and journey. My hope is that even in the midst of our most difficult experiences, we can all find the hidden treasure waiting to be discovered.

Sworn-in as Bucks County Sheriff in January 2022, I serve a resident population of nearly 700,000 and an estimated daytime population of 1.5 million. As Sheriff, I manage a staff of 80 including 65 deputies. We are responsible for the safety and security of the County Criminal Justice Center (courthouse). We serve all civil orders and warrants, transportation of prisoners, enforce court orders, custody and child support orders, issue gun permits, court ordered confiscation of weapons, conduct sheriff sales of property, oversee a K9 Unit, and assist local law enforcement whenever requested.       

After 36 years of service to Bensalem Township as a police officer, the last 16 as the Director of Public Safety, I am proud to offer Bucks County my unique combination of community-oriented policing and vast municipal government experience. During my career, I have implemented a new Forensic Services Unit, including a crime analysis technician, managed a budget of more than $35M, wrote, received, and managed grants exceeding $17M, and created the first Domestic Violence Unit in Bucks County.   My track record speaks for itself, and I share this same focus as sheriff, promoting community outreach as a department-wide philosophy and working to develop, institute, and obtain funding for many new initiatives and multijurisdictional programs while building community partnerships.

As Bucks County Sheriff, I continue this same commitment to pursuing departmental excellence and innovation.

Reflective of my years in law enforcement, I have developed critical insight into 21st century policing and the unique ability to bring people together. These skills define my approach to sheriff’s office operations, which involves thinking “outside the box.” In all situations, I strive to work collaboratively and create key partnerships—not only with other government agencies, but also with the community I serve. My goal is to combine community policing, technological advancement, innovative law enforcement, and intelligence-lead policing through teamwork. Now, more than ever, it is imperative we do whatever is necessary to ensure best practices of safety and service to our community, including both residents and visitors of Bucks County