John Lucas: Marple Township Commissioner Candidate Profile

MARPLE TOWNSHIP, PA — With the 2025 municipal election growing ever close, voters need to be informed of who will be on their ballots Tuesday, Nov. 4.

And on Nov. 4, John Lucas is looking retain his seat at Marple Township's Ward 4 Commissioner

Get to know him below:

Name: John Lucas
Age: 67
Gender: Male
Location/Town: Broomall, PA
Party: Republican

How do you plan to address the needs of the township and its residents while keeping taxes low?

By working together with my colleagues on the Board of Commissioners for the last 26 years we have maintained our outstanding Township services and our average Marple Township tax increase over the last 10 years is less than 1% (0.66) ! Our tax rates are among the lowest in the County.

What are the biggest issues your constituents bring up when discussing life in the township?

My constituents are very thoughtful people and they are concerned about:

Keeping our Taxes Low, Preserving our Open Space, Improving Our Parks & Recreational Facilities, Providing our Emergency Service Personnel with State of the Art Facilities & Equipment, Keeping our Schools & Neighborhoods Safe & Secure, Enhancing our Youth Programs, Honoring & Protecting our Seniors, Revitalizing our Business Districts and Improving the Quality of Life in Marple Township’s Second Ward.

What should township leaders do to reduce crime?

Marple Township has one of the lowest crime rates in Delaware County and in Pennsylvania.

(see attached information). Marple Township has a fully accredited Police Department and they have fulfilled all standards for training, qualifications and continuing education.

Recently the Township secured a $1.5 million dollar grant for fully equipped state of the art Police vehicles, body cameras, license plate readers (first municipality in Delaware County to implement) and tazers.

The Marple Township Police Department (MTPD) in Delaware County has implemented a wide range of proactive strategies to reduce crime and enhance public safety across the community. These efforts combine modern technology, targeted enforcement, and community partnerships to maintain a low-crime, high-trust environment.

Community Policing and Prevention Programs
Marple Police emphasize community engagement as a central focus of their public safety mission. The department regularly communicates with residents through social media and the CrimeWatch platform, encouraging neighborhood watch reporting and collaboration. Officers attend school events, civic meetings, and senior safety programs to bridge communication between citizens and law enforcement.

The department also maintains a School Resource Officer who works with Marple Newtown School District students to improve safety awareness and address youth issues before they escalate.

Targeted Crime Reduction and Enforcement
To reduce roadway incidents and discourage aggressive driving, Marple Police joined regional and statewide enforcement initiatives with PennDOT and neighboring departments. These operations focus on speeding, distracted driving, and work zone safety, using saturation patrols and corridor enforcement zones to deter violations.

Officers also make heavy use of automated license plate readers (ALPRs), which have proven instrumental in recovering stolen vehicles and identifying suspects connected to thefts from cars and prowling cases in residential areas.

Technological and Tactical Readiness
Marple Township Police have invested in advanced technology, such as public safety drone training under the Public Safety Unmanned Aircraft Systems Program, which supports aerial surveillance, search and rescue operations, and accident reconstruction.

Additionally, new 2025 Ford Explorer patrol vehicles were recently purchased through a state grant secured by Representative Jennifer O’Mara, improving fleet reliability and ensuring cost-free upgrades to taxpayers.

Department Training and Professional Standards
Professional development is a continuous priority at MTPD. Officers host and attend state and federal training, including FBI-LEEDA leadership programs and Penn State’s Justice and Safety Institute’s High Impact Supervision training, both held at Marple Police Headquarters in 2025. These sessions strengthen leadership, ethics, crisis response, and supervision across ranks.

Organizational Structure and Specialized Roles
The department operates with 30 full-time officers and 20 civilian employees, organized under Operations and Administrative divisions. Operations handles patrols, detectives, and drug task force participation, while the Administrative branch oversees accreditation, technology, and recruitment. This structure ensures efficient coverage and high professional accountability throughout the township.

Overall, Marple Police’s crime reduction success stems from a mix of visibility, technology, interagency partnerships, and citizen cooperation, creating a responsive and well-trained department that keeps Marple Township one of the safest communities in Delaware County.

What can be done to make streets safer for pedestrians, cyclists, e-scooter/bike riders, and motorists?

The Marple Township Police Department is fully staffed with 32 full-time officers totally committed to Keeping Our Schools and Neighborhoods Safe & Secure. Our officers are equipped with State of the Art crime-prevention equipment and electronic systems to stay on the cutting edge of crime detection, prevention and servaillance.

Currently e-scooters are considered to be illegal in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and our Police are continuing to monitor their use closely and to educate the residents and children about their appropriate use. Marple Township is not citing the operators of the e-scooters at the present time and they are warning operators about using the e-scooters on public roads and sidewalks. Please see additional information below:

Under current Pennsylvania law, electric scooters are not legal for operation on public roads or sidewalks. Title 75 of the Pennsylvania Vehicle Code defines electric scooters as motor-driven cycles under §102, meaning they are subject to titling, registration, and equipment requirements. Because most electric scooters lack required safety features such as turn signals, mirrors, and proper lighting, they cannot be registered through PennDOT, effectively making them illegal for public road use. [bucks.crimewatchpa +2]

Additionally, Title 75, §3703 explicitly prohibits riding electric scooters on sidewalks, limiting their lawful use to private property with the owner’s consent.[goerie +1] While some cities, like Pittsburgh, have temporary pilot programs testing electric scooter use, these operate under local ordinances and do not override statewide prohibitions. In most of Pennsylvania—including Philadelphia and suburban municipalities—electric scooters remain illegal to ride on public streets or sidewalks. [munley +2]

To summarize:

• Pennsylvania Vehicle Code §102 and §3703 classify e-scooters as motor vehicles, not bicycles.
• They cannot legally be titled or inspected for road use.
• Their operation is prohibited both on public roads and sidewalks.
• They are allowed only on private property or within authorized municipal pilot programs.

What can township leaders do to foster additional small business growth in Marple Township?

Marple Township has taken meaningful steps to support local economic development and can further expand these initiatives to foster small business growth by leveraging township and county-level partnerships, state programs, and community engagement opportunities.

Current Township and County Efforts

Marple Township actively maintains an accessible business services portal on its website that connects local businesses with township bids, vendor registrations, and development project information, including commercial zoning plans and economic development initiatives connected to the township’s Comprehensive Plan and Community Links directories.

The township also benefits from regional support through the Delaware County Commerce Center and Delaware County Economic Development Corporation, both of which connect businesses to Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) resources, low-interest loans, tax credits, and Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) grants. These agencies, together with the Delaware County Chamber of Commerce, offer networking events, minority-owned business guidance, and direct links to federal resources through the Small Business Administration and Widener University’s Small Business Development Center.

State and Regional Resources to Leverage

Marple Township can continue fostering growth by helping local entrepreneurs access several Pennsylvania economic programs administered through DCED, such as:

• Partnerships for Regional Economic Performance (PREP), offering coordinated business development support.[dced.pa]
• Small Business Advantage Grants from the Pennsylvania DEP, which fund energy efficiency and pollution reduction projects—enhancing business sustainability while cutting long-term operating costs. [delcopa]
• PA Business One-Stop Shop, guiding startups through registration, funding access, and growth planning statewide.

Future Opportunities for Township Action

To further support small business vitality, Marple Township can:

• Develop a Township Business Outreach Program to regularly engage with and survey local businesses about challenges and needs.
• Promote façade improvement and wayfinding grants in commercial corridors to revitalize downtown or village-style business zones.
• Host small business roundtables in partnership with the Marple Business & Professional Association and Delaware County Chamber to strengthen networking and support collaboration.
• Integrate sustainability initiatives—similar to Delaware County’s environmental grant model and Green Business Coalition pledge program—to encourage eco-friendly business operations that attract consumers and investment.
• Market township development opportunities transparently through a public-facing map of available commercial spaces and planned projects, leveraging the township’s existing Proposed Development section.

Through consistent collaboration with Delaware County’s economic partners and the Commonwealth’s funding opportunities, Marple Township can continue to position itself as a hub for sustainable, small-business-driven economic growth.