We appreciate both the decision by Christopher Kriner to step up as the next chief of police for Lycoming Regional Police Department and his recognition of the importance of community relations and technology in fostering the climate law enforcement needs to better police our neighborhoods.

Kriner’s 25 years of experience as a police officer includes a variety of roles, including supervisory capacities as well as investigation and patrolling. We believe that scope of experience will serve the communities under Lycoming Regional’s jurisdiction well.

Kriner noted the role that the Crime Watch website plays in this day and age in helping law enforcement communicate with the public they serve and in receiving valuable tips to identify and apprehend criminals.

He also noted that, beyond communicating with the community, police officers are members of the community and fully invest in its successes and sense of well-being.

“The men and women of Lycoming Regional do an excellent job with community engagement,” Kriner told the Sun-Gazette for an article in last Tuesday’s edition. “They really go out of their way to participate in all kinds of events, like the National Night Out, the Town Meeting, and things like that.”

We agree that a sense of community can serve law enforcement well and, perhaps more importantly, help the men, women and families in our communities better understand the vital work police do and the necessity of the public’s support for their efforts.

We are thankful for Chief Kriner’s willingness to serve — as we are thankful for the sense of public service that motivates good police officers in every deparment and agency serving our region. We hope the residents of the communities served by Lycoming Regional and our region’s other departments can share in that gratitude and support police in their tireless work to keep our neighborhoods safe.