Former Gov. Tom Ridge visits Cal U., applauds local police
CALIFORNIA – The nation’s first secretary of the Department of Homeland Security visited California University of Pennsylvania Tuesday and applauded local police officers as the first line of defense against terrorism.
Tom Ridge, who also was the 43rd governor of Pennsylvania, was recognized for his nearly 40 years in public service when he appeared at the university as keynote speaker at its 10th Conference on Homeland Security.
Holly Tonini/Observer-Reporter
Former Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge talks about the importance of first responders and their families during the 10th Annual Conference on Homeland and International Security held at the Cal U Convocation Center.
Ridge said the threats of terrorism, opioid overdoses, human trafficking and hackers in an “increasingly borderless world makes law enforcement more complicated than ever.”
He said foreign countries are encouraging opioid use by making fentanyl and the more powerful carfentanil available to addicts and dealers in the United States through the dark web.
“It’s at the heart of what is killing our communities,” said Ridge, whom President George W. Bush appointed as the first assistant to the president for homeland security following the terrorist attacks Sept. 11, 2001. Ridge went on to be appointed secretary of the department in 2003.
He said the events of 9-11 resulted in America as a whole focusing “on the roles and responsibilities of first responders.”
Holly Tonini/Observer-Reporter
From right, Charleroi Regional Police Officer Michael Wylie, Charleroi Chief Eric Porter and Charleroi Officer Chad Zelinsky were among those in attendance Tuesday for remarks by Tom Ridge, former secretary of Homeland Security, during the 10th Annual Conference on Homeland and International Security at California University of Pennsylvania.
“The unsung heroes of America, their communities are first responders,” Ridge said.
He said fatalities and injuries to police officers are on the increase because of the “brutality in our streets.”
“We also take law enforcement for granted,” he said.
He said if nothing happens and there isn’t anything about the police in the newspapers, people assume everything is fine in their communities.
“We as a country should be more supportive,” said Ridge.
He said local law enforcement works only if “there is trust from the broader community.”
“It’s that trust that is so critical. It’s easier said than done.”