Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com
The Middletown Township Police Department will be providing an additional officer to protect local schools.
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Earlier this month, the Middletown Township Board of Supervisors voted to approve a new contract with the Neshaminy School District and the township.
Chief of Police Joseph Bartorilla said the district will go from paying $90,000 annually to $180,000 annually to the township for three officers assigned to schools in the township. The school district covers about a third of the cost of the three officers.
The school resource officers (SROs) will be assigned to work all public and private schools in the township, with a focus on Neshaminy High School and the two middle schools in the township. The officers will assist when needed at the George School, Cairn University, Holy Family Regional Catholic School, and Our Lady Grace Catholic School in Penndel Borough, the chief said.
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One of the three SROs will work year around at the high school, including district summer programs, but the two who work at the other schools will return to patrol duties during the summer. The two officers often do bicycle patrols in the summer, Bartorilla said.
Bartorilla said the new agreement “solidifies the commitment to safety and security for all students in the township.”
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“We, by far, share the best relationship between police department and school district in the county. We have a great working relationship with the Neshaminy School District,” Bartorilla stated.
Neshaminy not only uses SROs but also employs private security for its schools and events on its campuses.
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