Quakertown Police chief on leave – Bucks Round-Up – March 2, 2026
Quakertown Police chief on leave
Quakertown Borough Police Chief Scott McElree is on workers’ compensation leave amid an investigation into an anti-ICE student protest on Friday, February 20. Video circulated online appears showing McElree, who also serves as borough manager, confronting Quakertown Community High School students and placing one teen in a chokehold. Five teenagers were arrested following clashes during the recent walkout. The Quakertown Borough Police Department, borough council, and district attorney’s office have declined further comment pending the outcome of the investigation. The Quakertown School Board held a meeting last Thursday night concerning the incident. Parents and community members addressed the school board for several hours in a meeting that became emotionally heated at times as some people who came to the podium defended the police, while many others spoke in favor of the rights of students. Still, many speakers criticized the administration for not protecting the students and rescheduling the protest inside the high school. Students at Pennsbury High School and Neshaminy High School recently held inside protests.
Threat prompts evacuation at Oxford Valley Mall
Moviegoers were evacuated Saturday evening from the Regal theater at the Oxford Valley Mall after a phone threat warned of a possible shooting and bomb. According to the Middletown Township Police Department, the call came in just before 7 p.m. at the Regal UA Oxford Valley along Middletown Boulevard. Officers quickly cleared the building as a precaution. No injuries were reported. Police responded with K-9 units trained in explosives detection and conducted a thorough sweep of the property. Authorities have not confirmed whether the threat was connected to recent U.S. military action against Iran under the Trump administration, though law enforcement agencies across the region remain on heightened alert. The investigation remains active.
Perkasie recycling center plan emerges after housing fight
In Perkasie Borough, a developer whose luxury apartment proposal was rejected is now pursuing a different path for the site — one that could bring heavy truck traffic to the area. Representatives for Perkasie Place LLC appeared before the Perkasie Borough Planning Commission on February 25 to present a sketch plan for an 18,000-square-foot recycling and contractor facility on Constitution Avenue, next to Mavis Tire. The 7.9-acre project would process construction materials such as metal, wood, and concrete. Developers say no hazardous waste would be handled and operations would be regulated by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. The site would operate roughly 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., six days a week, with access routed through a road bordering Perkasie Square shopping center. The proposal follows strong opposition to a previously denied plan for 75 luxury townhomes, which required a zoning variance. That decision is under appeal. The recycling center, however, is permitted under the site’s I-2 light industrial zoning. A traffic study is expected as part of formal land development review.
Next Step Programs purchases Doylestown site for housing and marketplace facility
On Friday, the nonprofit Next Step Programs inked their purchase of a Doylestown Borough property they aim to turn into a housing and marketplace site for adults with disabilities. The new facility will locate on the 2.5-acre Paul B. Moyer property on South Clinton Street. Next Step Programs oversee classes, support services, and other initiatives serving more than 1,000 young adults living with intellectual and developmental disabilities, connecting these individuals with employment opportunities, developing their living proficiencies, and fostering their social health.
Joe LeCompte hosts LeCompte in the Morning on WBCB 1490. Bradley Vasoli is the senior editor of The Independence.
