New Troop D public information officer focuses on community service
Bertha Cazy, the new public information and community service officer for state police Troop D, said she's focused on helping others on and off duty.
Serving the public is what drew her to the job in the first place.
“The helping people aspect of it is what I was always drawn to. I was drawn to the experiences I saw in cop shows on TV, but they don’t show you the paperwork,” she said and laughed.
Originally from Philadelphia, Cazy was stationed at the barracks in Butler right after her academy graduation in December 2017. She stepped into her new role in late March after serving as a patrol trooper in for six years.
Cazy currently works alongside Trooper Josh Black, who is also a public information officer. Black will transition to a new role with the state police in May.
Since Troop D covers Butler, Beaver, Lawrence, Mercer and Armstrong counties, Cazy said she hopes to serve them all equally in her position.
“I want all counties to feel like they’re getting the resources they want and all services are being given to whoever needs them,” she said.
She added that her extroverted nature will contribute to the role.
“I think I’m very personable in different groups and respect everyone I come in contact with. Our views may not align, but I’ll give you space to get your point across,” she said.
The public information officer position requires representation at events and informing the public on serious incidents.
“We do internet safety presentations, active shooter training; we go into schools and talk about bullying,” she said. “A lot of (the job) is going to community events. I’ll go to career fairs and school safety days, and set up Camp Cadet.”
Camp Cadet, a weeklong camp for children ages 12 to 15, offers a glance into police academy life. The camp’s organization is a big part of the job, Cazy said.
From her time on patrol, Cazy said she’s seen a few issues that the public should be watchful of.
“I think we can break it down by what age group you’re in,” she said. “Senior citizens are still getting scammed a lot. They’re easy targets because of the technology; some of them don’t know it as much.
“(With) school-age children, it’s bullying, and sending explicit images is still an issue for high school age.”
Another concern that affects all age groups is driving safety, Cazy said.
“Distracted driving is an issue: eating, talking on the phone, texting. I’ve been to accidents where people were just reaching for something. They look down for one second,” she said. “And drunk driving too. I think you need to have a designated driver in place.”
Cazy said her concern for the community extends beyond her job and into her personal life. In her spare time, she said she loves going on mission trips with her church, the most recent trek being to Africa.
“I like helping locally and abroad ... Being involved with the community is what drew me to this position. I believe we’re supposed to be connecting the community to the police. I liked to do the community work, even before I became a police officer,” she said. “I can connect (people) to other resources in this position.”
Cazy said the troop’s main way of communicating to the public is through its Twitter page, @PSPTroopDPIO. The Butler barracks can be reached by calling 724-284-8100.
