Public safety or partisan punditry?
Editor’s note: This column, which concerns Sheriff Ceisler’s remarks on the Minnesota shooting of Renee Good, was written prior to his Wednesday press conference on terminating the ICE partnership. The sheriff has since said that Philadelphia Sheriff Bilal’s recent comments were “completely counterproductive” and that she was “the wrong messenger” for her sentiments.
When Danny Ceisler campaigned for Bucks County sheriff, his slogan was catchy political framing: “Public Safety, Not Politics.” A pledge to move past the divisiveness of the national immigration debate and focus on the fundamental duties of the office — securing courthouses, transporting prisoners, and serving warrants.
But less than a week into his tenure, it is clear that Ceisler’s definition of “not politics” involves a heavy dose of partisan grandstanding.
Before even taking the oath of office, the mask began to slip. The man who promised to keep the sheriff’s office laser-focused on law enforcement spent the weeks leading up to his swearing-in endorsing a slate of Democratic candidates. If the goal was truly to professionalize the office and remove the taint of ideology, why immediately use your office to be a loyal party soldier?
The contradictions have only deepened since he took office. Ceisler, whose resume highlights his time as a military intelligence officer and Pentagon staffer, notably lacks any prior experience as a law enforcement officer. Yet, within just four days of being sworn in, he felt qualified to serve as a national commentator on a tragic, developing use-of-force incident nearly 1,000 miles away in Minneapolis.
Regarding the fatal shooting of Renee Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent — an incident still under investigation and at the center of intense political rhetoric — Ceisler didn’t wait for facts. Instead, he utilized his brand new badge to disparage federal agents, claiming:
“ICE is not trained to be doing law enforcement out in the streets…. When you put people who aren’t trained and equipped to do that job, thats when mistakes happen and people get hurt.”
It is a bold, if not arrogant, assessment from a man who has been a sheriff for less than 100 hours. While he criticizes the “training” of federal agents, he seems to believe his own recent transition from political candidate to chief law enforcement officer was instantaneous, exhaustive, and beyond reproach.
Perhaps most telling is Ceisler’s selective condemnation. While he is quick to criticize federal authorities to satisfy his base, he has remained curiously silent regarding the dangerous posturing coming from his neighbor next door.
Philadelphia Sheriff Rochelle Bilal recently referred to ICE as “fake, wannabe law enforcement” and issued a veiled threat of “smoke” (i.e., physical or legal confrontation) toward federal agents. For a sheriff like Ceisler, who claims to value the “rules of engagement” and “community trust,” one would expect a swift condemnation of a fellow Democrat threatening law enforcement officers in the city and county abutting his own. Instead, there has been nothing but silence.
Ceisler claims that his emphasis on ending cooperation with ICE makes Bucks County safer. However, he has yet to explain how alienating federal law enforcement partners and injecting himself into national controversies helps the residents of Doylestown, Bristol, or Quakertown. Moreover, is his lack of condemnation of Sheriff Bilal a tacit endorsement of her radical position and a sign of things to come in Bucks?
By prioritizing his status as a “progressive sheriff” over the professional execution of his department’s duties, Ceisler is doing exactly what he campaigned against. He isn’t removing politics from public safety; he is simply replacing one brand of politics with a more volatile, activist-driven version.
Publius Pax is a tenth-generation Bucks Countian, political consultant, and author.
