A message to the Solebury Community from Chief Bellizzie

To our Solebury Community,

As I watched video involving the death of George Floyd, I was outraged by what I witnessed. I can honestly say I have seen nothing like it in my forty plus years as a police officer. There is no justification for the actions of any of the officers involved in this tragedy. As the police Chief of your community I can assure you that I will work diligently to ensure nothing like this ever happens in our community.

The Solebury Township Police Department is one of the few departments in this area to be accredited by the PA Chiefs of Police. What this means to our residents is that you may be safe in the knowledge we are fully trained, along with having the policies and procedures in place that are designed to improve training and professionalism within the department. We cover de-escalation tactics as well as crisis intervention for our officers along with sensitivity training. Our officers train often in the accepted principles of use of force and must abide by all guidelines and policies.

Our past and current Township Board of Supervisors have backed our efforts by supporting budgets which provided us with proper staffing, equipment, and up-to-date training. With this in mind, we work to only bring the best officers into our department. No officers are ever hired without an exhaustive background investigation. We strive to hire only the best so we can be the best.

Part of our mission statement is as follows:

…We, the members of the Solebury Police Department, are committed to the prevention of crime and the protection of life and property; the preservation of peace, order, and safety; the enforcement of laws and ordinances; and the safeguarding OF CONSTITUTIONAL GUARANTEES.

We will remain vigilant and focused on effectively serving the public safety needs of Solebury Township.

Chief Dominick Bellizzie
Solebury Township Police