By: Sheriff Fred Harran

Throughout my nearly four decades in law enforcement, one thing has always been clear: community safety is best served through collaboration and strategic deployment of all available resources. It’s this experience I brought with me to the Courthouse when I became your Sheriff in 2022.

By better utilizing funding, increasing staffing, and expanding programs and services, we've ensured this office is a visible, fully engaged, and integral partner in the county's broader public safety network. I firmly believe our deputies possess unique skills, training, and jurisdictional reach, making them an invaluable partner to local police, municipalities, and our state and federal counterparts. We are a county-wide law enforcement agency, committed to acting as such.

Our application for participation in the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) 287(g) "task force model" is a direct extension of this commitment – a deliberate step to enhance our ability to protect residents by working with federal authorities within the course of our duties.

A Common-Sense Update to Keep Communities Safe

This program serves as a common-sense, targeted tool within our existing criminal justice process, specifically designed to assist us in handling individuals who have committed crimes and have warrants in Bucks County and are also present without legal authorization.

Our involvement in the 287(g) task force model is a narrowly defined initiative focused on public safety. It permits a handful of trained deputies to utilize a federal immigration information database solely for individuals taken into custody based on existing criminal charges and outstanding Bucks County warrants. The program is strictly limited to individuals already within the criminal justice process and does not authorize our deputies to perform general immigration enforcement functions in the community or inquire about immigration status during routine interactions. Crucially, we have and will continue to maintain open lines of communication with the immigrant community, faith leaders, and other community stakeholders to ensure the initiative's purpose is clear and its effectiveness shared.

Those who break the law should face the consequences of their actions – regardless of immigration status. This initiative strategically augments overall law enforcement capacity, ensuring resources are utilized effectively to protect our communities.

This also means meaningful fiscal savings. The cost of specialized training for our deputies is fully covered by the federal government. Furthermore, transferring these individuals to federal custody frees Bucks County taxpayers from the financial costs of local jailing and transport, allowing our highly-skilled deputies to focus on their other duties.

Our PLEAC accreditation and commitment to rigorous training and proactive policing ensure our personnel are equipped with the necessary skills and professionalism to meet evolving challenges. As a result, our agency has never been more capable of its multifaceted mission. We possess the personnel, expertise, and dedication to handle a wide spectrum of responsibilities, including active participation in collaborative task forces like the 287(g) model.

The Power of Partnership

When it comes to policing, the power of partnership cannot be overstated.

Our community’s 39 police agencies routinely participate in multi-jurisdictional task forces, integrating local responsibilities with broader initiatives to protect our neighborhoods. With our county-wide jurisdiction and highly trained personnel, the Bucks County Sheriff’s Office should operate with that same spirit, contributing fully to collective public safety efforts – whether with ICE or anyone else where goals align.

This isn’t new, either. Our office’s track record demonstrates our capacity and commitment to interagency cooperation. We maintain strong working relationships with federal agencies like Homeland Security and the U.S. Marshals Service, collaborating on initiatives that enhance regional safety.

My vision for the Bucks County Sheriff's Office is complete integration and robust partnership within the broader public safety landscape with one goal: keeping our community safe. By continuing to work together, fostering open communication, and fully leveraging the distinct capabilities of all our law enforcement partners - including the exceptionally capable men and women of the Bucks County Sheriff’s Office - we can collectively build a safer, more secure future for every member of our community.