On January 22, Reading Police Chief David Clark was the speaker at our dinner meeting at RCTV. Chief Clark gave a comprehensive overview of the RPD and how they are adapting to changing times and needs. Some highlights are that due to recent hires, RPD has Officers that speak Spanish, Arabic, Greek and Portuguese. RPD Officers are trained in and emphasize de-escalation techniques. RPD now has a motorcycle and has hybrid cruisers, the mountain bikes are returning in 2024. On the upcoming Town Meeting agenda will be the requested purchase of a new dispatching system to replace the existing system from the early 1980's.
Chief Clark offered to host a future meeting at the Police Station and to have other RPD staff available to speak and answer questions.