A the June 10, 2020, Newtown Board of Supervisors meeting, I suggested to Newtown Police Chief John Hearn that the township host a public "Town Hall" meeting where police officers and the community - especially residents who feel they have issues with the police - can get to know one another and have a meaningful dialog. In essence, a bigger, more inclusive, version of "Coffee with a Cop". This is something similar to what the Chief has done on a monthly basis when he was a Captain in the Philadelphia police force.

Listen to the Zoom meeting discussion here...

We must examine our own attitudes and recognize where we must change the way we think. We must perform acts of personal courage and acts of kindness. We must speak out whenever we see injustice. And we must examine our institutions, whether our criminal justice system, our schools, or the laws that govern us, and identify where we must make changes.

Examining our criminal justice system with a critical eye does not make us any less supportive of those who serve in it with honor and a devotion to public safety.

On the contrary, leaving this responsibility to future generations does those who put themselves at personal risk to keep us safe a disservice and dishonor no matter how cynically the omission may be portrayed as a test of loyalty.

Examining our schools does not mean that we adopt a view of history that is as biased against the good as it has been against the injustice that has been allowed. But it does require us to be honest about our past and our present so that the next generation is better prepared to face the challenges of the future.

Examining our laws is not an invitation to absolve anyone of personal responsibility or create one set of injustices to wash away another. But it is an opportunity to create a society in which equality is more than an Enlightenment goal.

I cannot accept that we have come this far only to fail at this moment. Imperfect as we have been, America has played a crucial role in the march of democracy and freedom in the world. We have more yet to do. Before we can do it, however, we must at long last heal ourselves.

Toward that end, on Thursday evening, more than 5,000 people came to the Garden of Reflection in Lower Makefield, staying in their cars as they drove through to observe a vigil against racism, violence and injustice.

It was a powerful display of solidarity and a moment that could not help but restore our faith in the goodness of people. Alone, however, it was not enough. Now we must undertake the hard work of healing the wounds of our past and present.

What can you do? Join the Bucks NAACP (all are welcome). Reach out to the Peace Center and take one of the action pledges that we have proposed. But above all else, get involved and make a difference.

Police in Newtown Borough said they're investigating an incident that occurred outside of the Starbucks on State Street​ Monday

Police in Newtown Borough said they're investigating an incident that occurred outside of the Starbucks on State Street Monday.

The incident was captured on video and viewed widely on Facebook.

Anju Madnani, in a post since shared more than 275 times, says she was with her adult son and daughter as they put up flyers related to the death of George Floyd.

In the video, a couple is seen approaching and yells at them. The man then confronts the woman putting up the flyers, hitting her phone from her hand.

Police issued a statement Tuesday saying the investigation into the incident is not complete. "Upon completion, we will address the outcome here. We will do our job thoroughly as always," the statement said.

A group of about 45 people made their voices heard near the Five Points intersection in Levittown Sunday evening.

The impromptu protest along Woodbourne Road on the Bristol Township and Middletown Township border came together after rumors of a potential demonstration on social media. The fear conveyed in some social media posts was not realized during the protest, which featured signs that said “Black Lives Matters,” “I can’t breathe,” and “I stand with Floyd,” referencing the black man murdered by a police officer last Monday in Minneapolis.

Passerbys along the busy roadway were largely supportive of the group and many beeped or put their fist up in the air. A few passerbys threw the group the middle finger or screamed an obscenity.