Detectives and patrolmen serve distinctly different roles in law enforcement. The positions demand different approaches.

But detectives and patrolmen are both police officers, committed to professionalism, public safety and teamwork.

A native of Lititz, Detective Cpl. Gary Rynier has been a Manheim Township police officer for 14 years. He's been a detective for one year.

"Patrolmen are the face of the department," said Rynier. "They're the initial responders to every call. Basically, they're the ones who would do the triage. If it's simple, they'll do it. If the investigation is extensive, it comes back to the detectives, who have more time for that type of work."

"(Detectives) would do an extensive follow-up," continued Rynier. "There are tons of work that gets done behind the scenes. Patrol would do a quick field interview to identify witnesses. Here, we would do more extensive interviews and background checks. We'll bring the case to a resolution. It's a different mindset. You've got to be OK with sitting back and seeing the big picture. You've got to be very inquisitive."

The Manheim Township Police Department is made up of 65 sworn officers, including six detectives, a detective sergeant and a detective lieutenant.

Last year as a department, Manheim Township handled 41,000 dispatches and wrote 22,000 reports. The criminal investigation division handled 325 cases.

"The characteristics that make you a good patrolman also make you a good detective," said Rynier. "It's an ability to communicate. Hard-working patrolmen who are willing to put in extra work and who want to be challenged more become detectives. But it's a completely different world. As a patrolman, you're interjecting yourself into situations that can be unstable, whereas a detective is almost always involved until everything is done."

There are no special requirements to become a police detective, no certifications, no accreditations. Generally, patrolmen work their way up to becoming detectives through experience, hard work, successful track records and specific career paths.

Perhaps most importantly, there has to be a desire to become a detective.

"In the end, we're all just police officers," said Rynier. "The teamwork, that's what decides the successful resolution of a case or not. As detectives, when we're given a case, we rely on accurate information from the responding patrolmen. As far as detectives go, the group I work with is probably the best team I've ever been a part of. Everyone has a specialty."

A graduate of Warwick High School, Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology and York College of Pennsylvania, Rynier completed his police academy training at Harrisburg Area Community College. After being hired by the Manheim Township Police Department, Rynier was named an officer in charge (OIC) in 2018 and selected as a detective in 2023.

"I've always been around law enforcement," said Rynier. "I participated in track and field at York College. When I graduated, I missed the team atmosphere. I went looking for that team atmosphere in law enforcement."

"I thoroughly enjoy doing detective work," added Rynier. "It's like putting a puzzle together of a picture that you never got to see. I like putting the pieces together and helping the victims. I like helping the people I work with."

For additional information on the Manheim Township Police Department, go to http://www.lancaster.crimewatchpa.com/manheimtwppd.