A traffic stop Tuesday has resulted in an increase in security and increased vigilance for gang activity at Goshen Schools.
Officers with the Goshen Police department pulled a car over shortly after 10 a.m. Tuesday. During the stop, two guns were discovered in the car and officers learned that the car’s occupants had just come from Goshen High School. No arrests were made, but the incident remains under investigation.
Goshen Schools Superintendent Dr. Steven Hope issued a statement Wednesday afternoon addressing the situation. He noted that the Goshen community has recently seen an uptick in violent incidents, including gang and gun violence.
“Our schools are centers for learning and there is no place for gang activity in schools,” Hope said in the statement. “As we move through the last five weeks of this school year, we are asking our community to help keep watch over GCS students and schools so that everyone may safely finish the school year together.”
Hope said there will be increased police presence at all schools, “with extra emphasis on the junior high and high school.”
“Our staff, led by the Goshen Police Department’s School Resource Officers (SROs) and principals, are aware of gang activity in the community,” Hope said in the statement. “The SROs are trained and knowledgeable about gang affiliations and behavior, and they work hard, along with administrators, to keep gang activity out of our schools.”
In addition to increased police presence, the following safety protocols have been established:
- Students will not be allowed to wear hats or any apparel that indicates gang affiliation
- Staff will be present in the hallways before and after school and during passing periods
- Students must leave their phone in the classroom with the teacher if they need to leave the room. The only exception is if a student needs their phone because of a medical condition.
Hope said the students stopped by Goshen Police had been disciplined “to the full extent” of school policy, which includes suspension of up to 10 days and expulsion from school for at least one calendar year.
Contact Kent at kfulmer@wvpe.org.
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