Extra Middletown Police In All Twp. Schools For Next Few Weeks

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — In response to the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, Middletown Police Chief R. Craig Weber announced Thursday that the public may observe an increase in the presence of uniformed police and marked patrol cars on all elementary, middle and high schools in the next few weeks.

“These assignments are proactive in nature and there is no credible threat to any of the schools in the Township," said Chief Weber. “The horrific event in Uvalde, Texas earlier this week is every parent’s worst nightmare."

Until this, the Middletown Police Dept. did not have school-resource officers in the schools. The Middletown school district, as well as many parochial and private schools, had their own security in place.

But out of an abundance of caution, police have increased their presence at all public schools as well as parochial, private and vocational schools in Middletown.

“The collaboration between the Middletown Police and our school district is instrumental in maintaining a secure school environment," said Middletown schools superintendent Mary Ellen Walker. "We value the support they provide on a daily basis to ensure the safety of our students, staff and visitors, as well as their expertise as we continually evaluate our security procedures and practices.”

Middletown Police asks the public to immediately report any incident that is suspicious or potentially poses a risk to public safety.

The Police Department can be reached at (732) 615-2100 for matters that are non-emergency or the public can dial 911 in the event of an emergency.