Middletown police add county-funded co-responder for mental-health and social-service follow-up

Middletown Township Police Department has added a county-funded co-responder to assist officers with social-service and behavioral-health referrals, Chief Joe Bartirillo told the Board of Supervisors on March 5.

Bartirillo said the Bucks County co-responder program placed Jessica Manzo in Middletown in December 2021. In roughly three months she has handled dozens of referrals involving homelessness, mental health, addiction, elder care and school-related matters, freeing officers to concentrate on patrol duties. The chief emphasized that the co-responder supplements but does not replace officers and that the position is funded through a county grant at no cost to the township.

The chief thanked county commissioners (naming Commissioner Diane Marceglia), county social services director Rachel Neff and partner chiefs in Falls and Bensalem for their roles bringing the program to Middletown.