A Longtime Member Of The Abington Township Police Department Has Passed Away

ABINGTON, PA — Steve Henze had a special knack for getting the confession that other investigators could not obtain.

The veteran Abington Township Police Department detective even used his unmatched detection skills during interviews with prospective hires applying for jobs on the force to make sure they were being truthful on their backgrounds.

Sadly, Henze passed away suddenly at the age of 58 this week at his home, just a few years before he was set to retire.

"He just loved Abington," Police Chief Pat Molloy told Patch in an interview Thursday.

One of Henze's two sons, Jakob, is even an Abington Township police officer now, having joined the force a couple of years ago.

The elder Henze was "in the drop," Molloy said, a term for being close to dropping retirement papers.

Molloy said the department is in mourning after losing their most senior investigator, a member of the force for more than 30 years.

Henze, who was born and raised in Abington, began his career with the police department back in 1991, serving as a patrol officer for more than a decade before being assigned as an investigator with the Detective Division.

The department said that Henze was particularly known for his superb interviewing skills, and that his "skill and determination over the last twenty years in the Detective Division resulted in the arrest and prosecution of many high-profile offenders," the department stated in a Facebook post.

"Steve was well known throughout our community, and he was universally respected throughout the law enforcement region for his outstanding work and commitment on behalf of so many victims," the social media post reads. "He was a good friend, teammate, brother, husband, father, and grandfather. APD will not be the same without Steve, as we will all miss his quick wit and great sense of humor. Steve's legacy will live on in the hearts of those who served alongside him over the past three decades."

Molloy told Patch that Henze was also a "funny guy," who was great with his coworkers.

As an investigator, Henze was one of the best. Nobody was better at interviewing suspects and conducting interrogations, Molloy said, calling Henze's techniques a "work of art."

"He was one of the most skilled interviewers that has ever worked in the Abington Police Department," Molloy said. "He treated people with respect and dignity. He could connect with anybody."

Henze also used those techniques on new hires, making sure Abington was getting candidates who were "telling the truth" about their histories, Molloy said.

Molloy said a handful of officers with the department went to Henze's home at the time of his passing this week to help console the detective's surviving family members, which includes his wife, Lisa, daughter, Alexis, and sons Matthew and Jakob.

The officers even draped the American flag over Henze's body when the funeral director was preparing to transport Henze as a "symbol of his service to our country and our community," Molloy said.

"It was just a small gesture, but it meant so much to the family," Molloy said.

Molloy said it's so sad that Henze passed away at such a young age, and not that far behind his planned retirement.

The chief said Henze would constantly talk highly about his grandchildren and his pending retirement, and the fact that he would have been able to spend more time with his family after his long career in the police services.

Molloy said members of the community, who he asked to keep Henze's family in their thoughts and prayers, are invited to the funeral service this Friday at the Upper Dublin Lutheran Church located at 411 Susquehanna Road.

Visitation will be from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and the service will begin at 11.

Molloy asked that any uniformed law enforcement members who are interested in attending the proceedings connect with Abington beforehand so police can try and coordinate an organized and cohesive entry to the service.

Those uniformed officers from Abington and other departments who plan to attend the service are asked to wear a long-sleeved shirt, tie, hat and mourning band.

An official obituary for Henze did not yet appear to be available at the time of the publication of this story.