Many people see police officers doing the work that ends up proving someone guilty or putting them in jail.

East Lampeter Township Police Detective Sergeant Preston Gentzler’s favorite part is doing the work that proves someone’s innocence.

“I enjoy doing polygraph work,” Gentzler said. “For me, the neat aspect of it is when someone's been accused of a crime and say they are innocent. To be able to use that polygraph examination to prove that they are telling the truth and they are innocent is really, really satisfying.

“We work equally as hard to prove someone accused of a crime is innocent and clear their names. I enjoy that aspect of it.”

Gentzler is a certified polygraph examiner, which consisted of a three-month training course in Fort Indiantown Gap. It’s one of the many roles Gentzler has been tasked with in his 24 years as a police officer, five as a detective sergeant and 17 overall as a detective.

“A lot of my training is focused on criminal investigations because I've been doing it for so long,” Gentzler said. “But it doesn’t feel that long.”

Gentzler graduated from Ephrata High School and Penn State – receiving a degree in Liberal Arts with a focus in Business. He started his career in community service as a volunteer EMT and fireman while attending Penn State and always knew in the back of his mind he wanted to join law enforcement.

“I was born and raised in Lancaster County,” Gentzler said. “I knew I wanted to become a police officer and when I was in college, I saw East Lampeter was hiring. I applied there and was fortunate enough to get hired. I think it's pretty cool to be able to serve in the county where you grew up and be a part of helping others.”  

Gentzler was a School Resource Officer (SRO) from 2003 to 2006 after starting the pilot program for East Lampeter Township PD before moving on to criminal investigations. He has spent time on the Lancaster County Major Crimes processing unit – which he took forensic trainings for – and the Computer Crimes Task Force – where he dealt with child pornography investigations. He’s also taken multiple courses in advanced interviewing and child abuse investigating.

“I've been really fortunate in my career,” he said. “I started our first SRO program which was a pilot program back in 2003. It was something different. Then I got to go into criminal investigations to kind of branch out from there. I've gotten to do a variety of things.”

Gentzler feels satisfied when a crime has been solved, a case has been successfully brought through prosecution, and a victim has been given closure. Those aspects make taking serious crimes head on worth it. Public misconceptions of all police officers can also take a toll.

“Sometimes police can be generalized, especially when an officer has done something wrong, and it’s spotlighted on a national level,” he said. “We as police officers, the majority of us have gotten into this profession to do the right thing, do the job the right way, and bring honor to the badge. We become equally frustrated when an officer has done something wrong.”

Outside of work, Gentzler enjoys spending time with family at the beach looking for sea glass and seashells and watching Penn State and Philadelphia Eagles football. His favorite parts of Lancaster County are the mix of urban and rural areas and the plethora of rail trails to enjoy.

He has thoughts of potentially turning his Associate’s into a Bachelor’s – he received additional college credits through his polygraph training – to have a business degree as an option down the line but continues to enjoy his profession serving the citizens of Lancaster County.

“The biggest thing is to make sure you're getting into it for the right reason, and that is to be able to serve others,” Gentzler said to prospective police officers. “If you're willing to do that, and you have a passion and a drive, I would encourage you to apply. Research the department, make sure that you are a good fit for them and that you feel the department is a good fit for you. If you have a passion to help others, apply.”

MEDIA CONTACT: Sean McBryan, semcbryan@co.lancaster.pa.us; Twitter: @SeanMcBryanLanc.