Lower Gwynedd’s Chief of Police and Board of Supervisors Chair release statement on school safety

In response to the recent school shooting in Texas, Lower Gwynedd Township’s Chief of Police Paul Kenny and Board of Supervisors Chair Danielle A. Duckett released the following statement in regards to safety at local schools.

On behalf of Lower Gwynedd Township and the Lower Gwynedd Police Department, we express our heartbreak over the tragic and senseless shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, and offer our condolences to all those impacted by this tragedy. We also want to assure our Lower Gwynedd and Wissahickon School District families of our continued prioritization of school safety.

Since 2015, in collaboration with the Lower Gwynedd Board of Supervisors and the Wissahickon School District, the Lower Gwynedd Police Department has had a full time School Resource Officer stationed at the Wissahickon School Campus to provide not only services, but building security. In addition, since I have become Chief, I have mandated that our patrol stop into every school in the township daily and not only familiarize themselves with the schools and staff, but provide a visible presence.

Our police department works hand-in-hand with the Board of Supervisors and the Wissahickon School District to constantly reevaluate our security to ensure that we are protecting our children. In events when a moment makes the difference, I want our response to be seconds, not minutes, away. We all strive to make this the reality for the families of Lower Gwynedd.

Photo: School Resource Office Dr. Beth Sanborn at a school safety conference. Lower Gwynedd Police Department.