In 2017, Megan Logan Freer ’07, a police officer for Middletown Township in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, responded to a routine missing person report for a young male in his 20s. Although Freer insists that she played only a small part of a much larger police investigation into the murder of four people, her initial interviews helped set the framework for the case that subsequently sentenced two people to life in prison.

After interviewing the missing male’s family and friends and utilizing cell phone information to pinpoint his last known location, Freer searched a property in rural Solebury Township in Bucks County, but found no sign of him. As she was driving back to her precinct, Freer received a call from the local police officer who escorted her to the property: the police found a vehicle of another missing male on the same property.

“This triggered a chain reaction and led to my learning of two additional missing males,” Freer recalls. “This was the largest joint investigation effort I will probably ever see.”

For her role in the complex investigation and her continued involvement as part of the evidence recovery team, Freer earned two prestigious awards: the Award of Valor from the National Liberty Museum in Philadelphia and the U.S. Attorney General’s Award for Criminal Investigations.

When Freer discovered that the Middletown Chief of Police Joseph Bartorilla nominated her for both awards, she modestly insists that she was just doing her job, as any officer would have done under the same circumstances. Freer was most impressed with how such a large law enforcement team, from all ranks and agencies, could work seamlessly together throughout the investigation.

“I was lucky enough to have the pieces fall into place the way they did. I only started the outline of the puzzle,” Freer notes. “The outcome was not the outcome anyone desired. I am just glad we were able to bring closure to the families of the missing young men,” she somberly adds.

Although the Bucks County investigation is a stark reminder that police often face difficult cases, Freer always wanted to become a police officer. Receiving the Draper Walsh Scholarship that provided her with the funds to support her education at Immaculata, she declared criminology as her major and became a proud member of the first criminology class to graduate from Immaculata. As a student she played softball her first two years and was part of IU’s historic move to coeducation at the beginning of her junior year.

“It was no surprise that she would distinguish herself by receiving one of the nation’s highest honors for a law enforcement officer from the U.S. Attorney General,” Anthony says. “I am pleased to think that I might have had some influence with Megan, but also glad to acknowledge that she represents the highest principles and ideals of Immaculata University.”

Freer began to explore the vast law enforcement field when her professor, John F. Anthony, retired Pennsylvania District Judge, helped her secure a job as a clerk at the Thorndale District Courthouse in Chester County. During her senior year, Freer accepted an internship at the courthouse in addition to completing another internship with the Tredyffrin Township Police.

“It was no surprise that she would distinguish herself by receiving one of the nation’s highest honors for a law enforcement officer from the U.S. Attorney General,” Anthony says. “I am pleased to think that I might have had some influence with Megan, but also glad to acknowledge that she represents the highest principles and ideals of Immaculata University.”

Among her coworkers congratulating Freer on her recognition was fellow Immaculatan Mary Alice Felt ’86. Freer fondly remembers the day when she met Felt, who is Middletown’s first and only female K-9 handler.

When the two women discovered their common connection, Freer says that they became friends, often discussing and comparing their college experiences—separated by nearly 20 years.

After graduating from Immaculata, Freer entered the Philadelphia Police Academy in 2008. She credits her criminology education with providing a better understanding of the criminal justice system. She is continually expanding her skills with additional police training alongside seasoned veterans who specialize in narcotics, crime scene processing and accident investigation. However, Freer discovered one aspect of her job where she excels.

“I love to interview people no matter what their role is in an investigation. There is a lot a person will tell you without realizing it, through body language, words emphasized and words left out,” she adds.

Often Freer was one of only a few Philadelphia bike patrol officers working major events in the city. She escorted Pope Francis, who was waving to the crowds from his popemobile, during the 2015 parade down the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Currently working four 12-hour day shifts with Middletown Township Police, she never knows what she may face in a day. Although police work can be dangerous, contagious diseases weren’t at the top of her list of concerns…until she contracted COVID-19.

“There was a three-day period when I didn’t leave my bed. My poor husband had to deal with me pacing around our spare bedroom the rest of the time,” she recalls. It took her four weeks to recover.

Freer met her husband, William, after graduating from Immaculata. They married in 2011 and are expecting their first child in February. She is interested in becoming a detective so she can further utilize her keen interview skills and learn new aspects of law enforcement.

Serving over a decade as a police officer, Freer reflects upon her career. She recognizes that there are similarities between her police duties in Philadelphia and those of her current position in Middletown Township, which is more of a rural environment. To Freer, the most obvious similarity, no matter where an officer serves, boils down to treating everyone with respect: “The way you would want yourself or a loved one treated,” she emphasizes.

“There is a balance between keeping yourself, fellow officers and the public safe and maintaining an approachable disposition,” Freer says.

This balance, and the work-life balance that is important to the soon-to-be mom, is what makes her job rewarding. Megan Freer is a true public servant.