Police Visited Schools 15 Times During December

LOWER POTTSGROVE PA – Reports of an alleged sexually related offense, a disturbance involving a fight or dispute, and two incidents of disorderly conduct were among those for which the Lower Pottsgrove Police Department responded during December 2022 to Pottsgrove School District buildings, according to a monthly report from Police Chief Rick Bell.

Bell’s summary, delivered Jan. 3 (2023) to the township Board of Commissioners, noted that eight different department officers made 15 visits to school buildings during the period between Dec. 1-23. Three buildings – Pottsgrove High, and Lower Pottsgrove and Ringing Rocks elementaries – are located within the township.

The officers’ visits, none of which were explained in detail and which were not accompanied by location information, were:

  • One visit, on Dec. 20 at 3:44 p.m., for a report of a sex offense, as defined by the Pennsylvania Uniform Crime Reporting System;
  • One, on Dec. 1 at 9:10 a.m., for a “disturbance” involving a fight or dispute;
  • Two visits, on Dec. 2 at 11:49 a.m. and on Dec. 7 at 9:09 a.m., respectively, for disorderly conduct incidents involving harassment and fighting; and
  • One, on Dec. 14 at 11:03 a.m., for a two-motor vehicle crash that did not involve injuries.

Additionally, seven visits involved foot patrols of school buildings or grounds, two represented public service calls by officers, and one involved provision of assistance to another agency.

Pennsylvania’s Uniform Crime Reporting System is the method by which the state tracks all statistics used “in law enforcement administration, operation, and management.” Each label bears a distinct and different definition in UCR compilations.

Photo by The Post

Other coverage of the Lower Pottsgrove Board Jan. 3 meeting:

Board’s Sunnybrook Meeting Unexpected, Necessary
Lower Pottsgrove commissioners met at The Sunnybrook Ballroom because the Buchert Road municipal building conference room could not be occupied. It and other areas were being repaired.

Police Visited Schools 15 Times During December
Five different alleged offenses prompted Lower Pottsgrove police to visit Pottsgrove school buildings during December. The remainder were for foot patrols, service calls, and assistance, police Chief Rick Bell said.

Lower Pottsgrove Accepts PA Tax Notice Failure Law
A law that grants a limited waiver of paying penalties on a late property tax bill, but which applies only to buyers of homes during 2023 or later, was approved Tuesday by Lower Pottsgrove as required by the state.

One Named, 3 Reappointed to Township Vacancies
New Year business Tuesday for the Lower Pottsgrove Board of Commissioners included reappointing three volunteers to expiring terms on township advisory boards; and appointing one other to an initial term.

Township Assists on Sanatoga Center Equipment Need
Administrators of Sanatoga Center, the skilled nursing facility on Evergreen Road, have sought Lower Pottsgrove’s emergency management help in working with Montgomery County to update specialized equipment.