As the 2025–2026 school year commences, we, as members of the Westtown and East Goshen Township communities, are all processing the horrible and tragic school shooting that occurred in Minneapolis yesterday, along with the active shooter hoaxes that took place at Villanova University last week.

The beginning of a new school year should be a time of happiness, optimism, pride, and joy — as we send our children off for everything from their first day of kindergarten to their first day of college, and everything in between. This time of year should not be one in which parents need to worry about the safety and well-being of their children as they go off to school.

The Westtown-East Goshen Regional Police Department proudly serves and protects numerous public, private, Catholic schools, and daycares within our townships — a responsibility we consider our top priority.  In addition to our full-time  School Resource Officer and our Juvenile Detective, our department works collaboratively with the administrations of the West Chester Area School District, the Philadelphia Archdiocese schools located within Westtown and East Goshen, and other public and private learning institutions to ensure a safe learning environment on a daily basis.

Additionally, our officers are trained in active-threat response, and we work in partnership with neighboring law enforcement agencies to protect our youth.

While we mourn the tragedy that occurred yesterday in Minneapolis, please be at peace as you send your children off to school this year, knowing that we, as your police department, keep the safety and security of your children as our top priority.

Thank you,
David Leahy
Interim Chief of Police