Suspect Search Puts 3 Delco Schools Under Safety Protocols: Police

NETHER PROVIDENCE, PA — Three Delaware County schools conducted "teach-in-place" protocols Monday while officers searched for a suspect accused of fleeing police in a stolen vehicle, authorities said.

At around 9:40 a.m. Monday, a Nether Providence resident contacted police about an unknown vehicle parked in their backyard.

Police stopped that vehicle earlier that morning on South Providence Road. But the driver fled the stop, and police lost sight of the Acura. Police determined that the vehicle had been reported stolen.

The vehicle was parked in a backyard on Hickory Lane, right by Strath Haven High School. Strath Haven Middle School and Wallingford Elementary School are also in the area.

Officers searched for the suspect in the area. During that time, the three schools entered "teach-in-place" status, when the hallways are cleared.

"The measure was implemented out of an abundance of caution while officers worked to determine the suspect’s location," said David M. Spain, Nether Providence's police chief. "At no time during the incident was there any indication of a threat or risk to the safety of students, school staff, or the general public."

The protocol was lifted later Monday, when police reviewed surveillance footage showing the suspect fled toward the rear of Strath Haven High School and was picked up by another driver.

Police stopped searching the area and informed school officials that normal activities could resume.

The incident remains under investigation.

The impacted schools are part of the Wallingford-Swarthmore School District.

During a "teach-in-place," schools clear the hallways and keep the students in classrooms, according to the district website. It's considered a lower-level emergency protocol compared to a lockdown, shelter-in-place, or active-threat procedures.

Anyone with more information on this incident can call 911 or the Nether Providence Township Police Department’s Detective Division at 610-892-2875.