Police Community Engagement in Lancaster: OneWell Connects Officers and the IDD Community

Police community engagement in Lancaster brought individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), their families, and local officers together through OneWell Health Care’s Community Connections series. Organized with the Lancaster City Bureau of Police in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, the first two events created opportunities to ask questions, share experiences, and get to know one another before an emergency occurs.

For many people, a police officer is someone they meet only when something has gone wrong. An emergency leaves little time to become familiar with a new person or explain what helps someone feel comfortable. Yet officers and the people they serve are members of the same community. Opportunities to meet in a welcoming setting give both time to listen and learn.

For individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families, these interactions can be especially meaningful. Meeting a local officer and learning about their work can help turn an unfamiliar face into someone they recognize. Officers, too, gain a chance to understand the interests, experiences, and communication preferences of the people they serve.

“We should not wait for an emergency to be the first time an individual or family interacts with a police officer,” said OneWell Health Care Founder and CEO Aytekin Oldac. “These relationships should begin before an emergency ever occurs.”

Meeting Lancaster City Police: The First Community Connections Visit

Familiarity begins with a chance to talk. During the first Community Connections event, individuals supported by OneWell visited the Lancaster City Bureau of Police. Officers welcomed them into the station, showed them around, and introduced them to their day-to-day work and some of the equipment they use.

Some questions were about policing; others were about the officers themselves and their personal interests. Those conversations helped the group get to know the people behind the uniforms. They also gave officers time to meet their visitors without the pressure of responding to an urgent situation.

At the end of the visit, some individuals hugged the officers goodbye. For the OneWell team, it was one of the most memorable moments of the day. What began as an opportunity to learn about a local police bureau ended with a warm goodbye between people who had spent time listening and talking to one another.

That first meeting gave the partnership something to build on: a shared experience, familiar faces, and an invitation to keep the conversation going.

Bringing Lancaster County Together for Community Connections

A relationship grows when people have the chance to meet again. At the second Community Connections event, the welcome that began at the police bureau extended to families, elected officials, schools, community leaders, businesses, and organizations from across Lancaster County. The gathering also gave attendees an opportunity to thank local officers for the work they do each day.

For many individuals supported by OneWell, meeting the K-9 team was a highlight. They petted the dog and watched it demonstrate its skills. Officers also invited attendees to explore police vehicles and equipment, explained how they use them, and offered a chance to speak over the walkie-talkies. Each activity opened up new questions and conversations.

The day continued over lunch, giving individuals, families, and officers time together beyond the demonstrations. OneWell team members noticed the excitement and curiosity as attendees took part in the activities and spoke with officers.

“There was kindness. There was curiosity. There was laughter. And, most importantly, there was a genuine human connection,” Aytekin shared after the event.

What Police Community Engagement Means for the IDD Community

A station tour or an afternoon together cannot build trust on its own. What these events can do is create a starting point: a chance for individuals and families to meet officers when they have time to talk, and for officers to listen to the people they serve.

The first visit allowed a smaller group to explore the police bureau and begin those conversations. The second brought more of Lancaster into the exchange. For OneWell, the value of police community engagement lies in continuing that contact so familiarity has a chance to grow.

It also matters that individuals have choices about how to engage. Asking a question, exploring equipment, watching a demonstration, or joining a conversation over lunch offers different ways to participate. Their interests and preferences help shape the experience. Community inclusion means having opportunities to build relationships on those terms.

“The more opportunities we have to connect, communicate, and interact with one another in a positive and welcoming setting, the more comfortable and confident everyone can feel.”

Michelle Patlakh, Marketing Manager at OneWell Health Care.

Thanking Our Lancaster Community Partners

The connections made at these events depended on people across Lancaster choosing to take part. OneWell thanks Lancaster City Police Chief Randell Zook and the entire Lancaster City Bureau of Police team for welcoming individuals and families, sharing their time, and helping make both gatherings possible. We are also grateful to Pennsylvania State Representative Nikki Rivera for joining the second event and spending time with the IDD community.

Justin Walgemuth of Masonic Villages played a central role in bringing the second gathering together. OneWell also thanks Michelle Patlakh, Katie Heverling, Leslie Casale, the Marketing and Therapies teams, and everyone who worked behind the scenes to plan the events.

We appreciate the support of our sponsors and community partners: Hamilton McNaughton of Benecon; Chris Simon of Simon Financial; Ignazio Caruso of Caruso’s Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria; Anthony Marcavage of Flood Law; Ron Weaver of Apex Advertising; Mann Khaka of MK Cooling & Heating; the City of Lancaster; Steve Hanscon of CBRE; Greg Melhorn of Members 1st Federal Credit Union; and Chase Del Biaggio of Jefferson Insurance Brokers.

Continuing Community Connections in Lancaster

The next Community Connections event is expected in January and will mark the official launch of OneWell’s Blue Envelope Program in Lancaster. The voluntary program is designed to support communication between individuals with disabilities or communication differences and first responders.

Learn more about OneWell’s Blue Envelope Program, or contact info@onewell.org for information about future Community Connections events.

The gathering will give individuals, families, officers, and community partners another opportunity to meet and continue the conversations begun at the police bureau.

The first two events showed what can begin when neighbors make time for one another. OneWell looks forward to supporting police community engagement in Lancaster through continued opportunities to listen, learn, and participate together.