East Goshen Police report shows rise in calls, fraud targeting seniors

Police Chief Berard opened her monthly report on the township’s public‑safety activity in June, saying 'there was a total of 2,148 calls for service' across the two townships and that calls remain elevated compared with recent years.

The chief said the uptick includes a variety of crimes and public‑safety responses: a solved stolen‑firearm case, a large check‑fraud scheme tied to business‑level account misuse, and multiple thefts at local stores. She highlighted a string of frauds targeting older residents — including a social‑media prize scam that asked victims to purchase gift cards — and said those incidents typically yield little recoverable money.

Berard also described community outreach in June, including school tours, ride‑alongs with Chester County dispatchers and an ice‑cream social at East Goshen Park, and congratulated two officers who completed a leadership academy. On cooperation with prosecutors, she said the District Attorney’s office 'really do work with the victims' and that the office generally pursues retail‑theft prosecutions when appropriate.

Board members pressed for operational data to help oversight and planning: a supervisor requested non‑public access to counts of open detective cases and clearance rates for supervisors; the chief agreed to work with staff to determine what can be shared without compromising investigations.

The report closed with a reminder that some offenses — such as catalytic‑converter thefts — may be underreported and that proposed state legislation to require identification for metal buyers could reduce resale of stolen auto parts. The Board offered no immediate policy change and accepted the report for the record.