Col. Robert Evanchick, commissioner of the Pennsylvania State Police, recently announced the addition of Cpl. Timothy Greene and three other full-time Heritage Affairs liaison officers to the department’s Heritage Affairs Section.

The mission of the Heritage Affairs Section is to build relationships with historically underserved communities throughout the commonwealth and to work with local law enforcement agencies to prevent and investigate hate and bias-related crimes.

Section members also lead the department’s training on implicit bias awareness and de-escalation techniques.

“Establishing lines of communication to facilitate meaningful collaboration with local leaders is an important part of community policing, which is why we have dedicated additional resources to the Heritage Affairs Section,” Evanchick said. “Troopers were handpicked to fill these roles.

“Their backgrounds reflect the diversity of Pennsylvania, and they will continue to be at the forefront of the department’s efforts to make meaningful connections within the communities we serve.”

Led by Section Commander Lt. William Slaton, each HALO is assigned to a specific part of the state:

Greene was named Southeast Heritage Affairs Liaison Officer for Berks, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Montgomery, Northampton, Philadelphia, Schuylkill and York counties.

A former firefighter and paramedic, Green became the first minority fire chief of Concordville Fire Company, Delaware County, at age 24.

He joined the state police in 2004 and previously served as Troop K public information officer and community services officer.

Greene is active in the department’s Camp Cadet program.

For more information on the Pennsylvania State Police Heritage Affairs Section, visit psp.pa.gov.