West Whiteland Township dedicated its newest park to retired Police Chief Joseph Catov Jr. in a ceremony on Oct. 21. Approximately 30 retired and current police department and township employees, active and previous township supervisors and family members and friends were in attendance. Participants were able to view the new baseball field and softball field, pavilion, playground equipment and restrooms at what was previously known as Boot Road Park North.

Catov dedicated 42 years to West Whiteland Township, starting in 1978 as a patrolman and then serving as detective, detective sergeant and lieutenant before being appointed chief of police in 2013, where he served until his retirement in 2020. Under Catov's leadership, the Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission (PLEAC) awarded the department accreditation in 2018 after an assessment in which the department demonstrated its compliance with 139 professional standards. During Catov's tenure, the police department also implemented Crimewatch, an online system to provide transparency and keep citizens informed.

After Boot Road Park was officially renamed Joseph Catov Jr. Park, Catov provided remarks. He acknowledged the role of Bud Turner and Steve Soles, both of whom were in attendance at the dedication, in his appointment as chief. Turner and Soles were on the board of supervisors when Catov was appointed.

Current township supervisors Rajesh Kumbhardare, Theresa Santalucia and Joshua Anderson were present to open the new park to the community and to honor Catov. Kumbhardare pointed out that residents of Whiteland Woods and Indian King can enjoy the new walking trail connecting their neighborhoods to Catov Park, where they can then also access more trails and recreation across the street at Boot Road Park South.

Trail access and connectivity are high on the list of township goals, as is preserving open space. The township has a bike and pedestrian plan with a list of projects based on community feedback. Kumbhardare reminded the audience that permanently protected open space makes up more than one-fifth of the township.

West Whiteland Township has owned the property at 71 W. Boot Road for over 15 years. This development project was kicked off because of Exton Little League's (ELL) need for a temporary baseball and softball field when the organization was displaced from Meadowbrook Manor in 2019 due to pipeline construction. West Whiteland provided permanent facilities to benefit ELL in the short run and the community in the long run. The fields were built and funded entirely by Energy Transfer.

For more information about West Whiteland Township, visit http://www.westwhiteland.org; police department information is available by clicking on "Police Department" under "Government." To follow the police department, community members may also visit https://chester.crimewatchpa.com/westwhitelandpd or search for the department on Facebook.