Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com
In the wake of the tragic killing of three people in Falls Township and an area-wide shelter-in-place order, Falls Township Chief of Police Nelson Whitney has penned a letter to the community.
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The chief, a longtime local lawman, called for the community to “support each other.”
Below is the text of the letter:
Dear Falls Township residents, business owners and workers,
The spree killing that took the lives of three people in our community this past Saturday is a devastating loss. It has left many in our community feeling shocked and deeply saddened. It is understandable to feel different emotions during such a tremendous tragedy. At a time like this, we need to support each other as a community.
I want you to know that the safety of everyone in this community was the highest priority during this event. Our officers responded to the horrible scenes of these crimes hoping to save the lives of those who were attacked. Sadly, unable to do so, their attention immediately shifted to protecting anyone else from further harm. Sgt. Steve Reeves utilized his training and experience to begin organizing the response to this crisis. His initial actions of sealing off the affected areas, calling for additional resources and issuing a shelter in place order were crucial in protecting the community. At that point, the location of the shooter was unknown.
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Once I was notified, I immediately contacted Brian Galloway, who was an organizer of the St. Patrick’s Day parade (and one of your Falls Township Board of Supervisors) to discuss the risk to parade goers. The decision was immediately made to cancel the parade to protect lives.
We had immediate help from patrol officers from the following police departments (our sincere thanks to anyone inadvertently skipped here): Middletown, Bensalem, Bristol Twp., Bristol Boro, Lower Makefield Twp., Upper Makefield Twp., Newtown Twp., Warrington Twp., Yardley Boro, Upper Southampton Twp., Tullytown Boro, the Bucks County Rangers and Quakertown Boro. Philadelphia PD and the New Jersey State Police sent helicopters to help in the search for the gunman. Of course, Trenton PD and Mercer County N.J. responded for the incident in New Jersey and to help in the joint investigation.
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I think you should know that so many dedicated public officials and professionals in our area provided help. Our Falls Township Police detectives and the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office responded to investigate. Additionally, the DA’s Office responded with their senior leadership, including DA Jen Schorn. Off duty Falls Township Police officers came in to help. The leadership at the Levittown-Fairless Hills Rescue Squad responded to our command post and called in additional EMS personnel on duty in case there were any other people wounded as the event progressed. The Falls Township Fire Marshal/Assistant Township Manager Rich Dippolito – who was off duty and out of town on a pre-planned vacation – called me and sent personnel to coordinate resources. The FBI in Fort Washington and Trenton sent agents to our command post. The Pennsylvania State Police sent a team to our Command post to coordinate resources. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms sent a team of agents to help investigate.
Additionally, our Bucks County Sheriff, Fred Harran, offered help and so did our local Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick. I was also contacted by Bucks County officials, our Falls Township Manager Matt Takita and staff from Jefferson Bucks Hospital – it was truly an example of the group effort that makes local stakeholders and local government so effective in a time of crisis through collaboration.
Our hearts go out to the families directly impacted by this tragedy. The things that they have seen, heard, and felt cannot be undone. We will continue to support them with compassion and love. Several of the family members involved in this heartbreaking occurrence currently attend or attended school in the Pennsbury School District. They have been students alongside of our own loved ones in our schools. We were in touch with the Pennsbury School District on Saturday, and we commend their compassionate efforts to support their students and staff. In close partnership with our DA’s Office, we will seek justice for those who were killed, injured, and traumatized by this senseless violent crime.
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Processing this kind of tragic event takes time and, at times, help from professionals. For anyone in our community who is experiencing stress over this traumatic event and would like assistance, the Keystone Crisis Intervention Team (KCIT) can help. Help is free and confidential. Please see our next post for more information about KCIT.
Together, we will do what Falls Township does best – support and help each other through this difficult time. We are a community defined by our compassion.
Nelson E. Whitney, II
Chief of Police
Falls Township Police Department
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