NEW BLOG

Daily Local News reporters are teaming up for a new blog -- Off the Record. Staff reporters will post various items on the blog that hopefully you'll find interesting. And, as a change of pace, the blog will focus on all of Chester County. And remember to save it to your favorites/bookmarks.

Check it out here:

Police Union Contract

Negotiations continue between the city and police union. Parties have until next week to reach an agreement, or they could go to arbitration.

Curfew Changes?

Council made moves to change the city's curfew. See today's edition.

Chief to Speak in Washington

Police Chief William Matthews will be speaking tomorrow in Washington, D.C. He is one of the OECA's distinguished speakers. Matthews is expected to discuss the "use of community policing to influence social behavior by changing social influences and norms."

The OECA -- Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance -- is part of the federal Environmental Protection Agency.

No Guarantees

City Manager Harry Walker and City Council could not guarantee that officers will not be laid off. Instead, Walker and council sat silent when questioned by a resident over the potential layoffs. See Wednesday's edition of the Daily Local News for more details.

Tonight's Agenda

Presentations:

Police Chief on the curfew

Action Items:

Motion to adopt layoff schedule

One dead after explosion

One person was killed and two others were inured at Mittal Steel in South Coatesville after a furnace explosion. See today's Daily Local News for details.

In case you missed it...

The Daily Local News reported this weekend that the city is looking to hire while at the same time layoff in other departments.

Also, Police Chief William Matthews said he does "not anticipate" police layoffs this year. However, if the possibility should arise, the issue would need to be completely re-evaluated at that time, he said.

FYI

The Coatesville Side Bar will not be updated again until Tuesday, May 29.

Remember there is a City Council meeting Tuesday.

Also, check out the Daily Local News this weekend for articles related to the Coatesville Police Department and administration.

Enjoy your Memorial Day weekend.

CONTRACT AVAILABLE

You can view the contract now here:
http://www3.allaroundphilly.com/DLN/mathews_agreement.pdf

You can read the story now at www.dailylocal.com.

Chief Contract

See Thursday's edition of the Daily Local News for an article on the new police chief's contract. The contract was released today. It should be posted here in full tomorrow.

The Circus is Coming

The Walker Bros. Circus will be in town Tuesday, May 29 at Gateway Park. The show is presented by the Coatesville Community Center Board of Directors.

Times: 5:30 and 7:30 p.m.
Cost: $12 in advance/More at the door (two free KIDS tickets with one adult ticket purchase)
Phone: 610-384-1892, 215-669-8560
E-mail: recreatecamp@gmail.com

Tickets can be purchased at 124 E. Lincoln Highway on Monday, Wednesday and Friday between 2 and 6 p.m.

Proceeds from advance ticket sales benefit the ReCreate Camp 2007 Scholarship Fund

After local, county and state officials raised concerns, it appears there will be no police layoffs

Let’s Continue The Dialogue

Dear Residents of Coatesville

I am communicating my views in writing so that you can make up their own minds about our direction without interpretation. I am pleased that my article has started people talking about how to solve the drug problem. Although I disagree with those who believe only the police should get involved, I think it is important that different points of view are heard. I believe that all people of good will want the city to succeed.

The police are and always will be at the center of the combating the drug problem. Unlike other community-based organizations we have the power of arrest and I will use it. There will be no free ride for drug dealers. However, we also have other powers at our disposal, such as the power to mobilize the community around public safety issues. When the police are on the front line, the community must stand right behind them with other resources. The drug problem is a complex issue that requires more than one resource and approach. We must develop a consensus on a unitized strategy. What other agency of government is in a better position than the police to mobilize a coalition of concerned citizens, organizations and institutions around public safety issues.

I can assure the citizens of Coatesville, and the county at large, that I will continue to reach out and develop partnerships. We will also continue to apprehend drug dealers and their leaders because that is a law enforcement responsibility that we all take very seriously. Currently, I am nearing the completion of a reorganization plan designed to maximize our efforts to address the sale of drugs while enhancing public trust and involvement. And, after a careful review of all our alternatives (during this budget crisis) I have offered my views and recommendations to our administration concerning the organizational and public safety impact of reducing the number of police officers. All of us realize that public safety is government’s primary responsibility. “No police officers will be laid off.”

I want our residents, friends and critics to understand that no matter how many police officers we hire, only a unified community working with the police can address the drug culture and divert young people from the drug dealer’s life style. I have visited large and small communities all over the country and witnessed first hand the power of collaborative partnerships that address important public safety issue(s) and solve or resolve them. The city of Coatesville and surrounding areas can achieve this kind of success as well. During the short period I have been here I have met residents who are getting involved and many more who want to. And no matter what critics say, that’s a good thing. “People who do make a difference.”

William H Matthews
Chief of Police

RDA meeting leads to shouting

City Council President Patsy Ray's line of questioning to the Redevelopment Authority Monday night led to screaming.

Ray, during the public comment period, criticized the RDA for selling 31 properties for a buck each and not forcing the owner to repair the properties. She also attacked RDA board members for discussing the Riverwalk, when it was the city's project, not the RDA's.

Solicitor Pat O'Donnell said he believed the 31 properties were repaired. Chairman Paul Givler defended the board's discussion of the Riverwalk, and pointed out that the Riverwalk will be built on the RDA's property.

The debate erupted into screaming immediately after the meeting. It appeared Givler attempted to talk with Ray, at which point she began screaming at Givler. The arguing continued out into City Hall's lobby, where RDA member Joe Disciullo yelled at RDA member Ernie Campos. Disciullo accused Campos of "setting the city back 10 years" because he helped get Ray and three other council members into office.

CASD MEETING CHANGE

The CASD board WILL NOT hold a meeting tonight. It has been changed to Thursday at 7 p.m. in the 9/10 Center auditorium.

Matthews' Statement

Together We Can Change Things

Last Saturday morning the citizens in every Coatesville neighborhood and surrounding communities opened the morning newspaper and saw for the first time the faces of 22 young men arrested and/or sought for their participation in the illegal drug trade. For some, the tragedy of seeing the picture of a friend, a neighbor or relative plastered across the paper was dramatic and heartbreaking. For others, whose love ones have been victimized by drug use and/or violent crime, it was a picture of justice finally realized. These mid-level “foot soldiers” were well-known drug operators and distributors who preyed on area youth and the community. Each is an embarrassment to their families and to a proud city and area communities. But after we get past the “shock and awe” of media reporting, I suppose the only good thing that can be accomplished by their public display is the deterrent affect it might have on innocent, impressionable young people trying to find their own identity. Hopefully, parents, teachers and religious leaders will take this opportunity to drive home their anti-drug involvement message.

The sad truth is that although continuing drug investigations and arrests are necessary; they rarely make a real difference on the street. Let me be clear, our officers conducted exceptional investigative work in closing many of these cases. However, as any law enforcement officer knows, once drug distribution managers are stopped, there are always individuals willing and able to take over and continue this evil and life-threatening trade. What we require now is a new strategy. A strategy developed to galvanize law enforcement and community resources around making it extremely uncomfortable for drug dealers to operate, while discouraging and rehabilitating the drug users, who are also victims. We need community consensus on how to prevent our youth from getting involved. Only a unified and committed community can discourage current and would-be drugs dealers from becoming lords of our streets and community. This is not a racial or ethnic problem. It's not a rich or poor problem. Illegal drugs are marketed and used by residents who live in gated, golf course developments as well as by residents who live in our urban neighborhoods. The drug problem crosses all boundaries. And without unified community involvement and support, aggressive police action, no matter how well intentioned, will be seen by some as an over-bearing occupation and by others as an ineffective exercise that fails to stop drug trafficking. Simply put, we cannot arrest our way out of the illegal drug culture.

For this reason, the Coatesville Police Department will soon utilize its reorganized,
refocused, and redeployed patrol division to mobilize the total community around addressing the drug-dealer culture, tarnishing their image, and discouraging others from joining their ranks. Although we will continue to make arrests when necessary, it is clear that arrests alone will not clear our streets. We cannot afford to let the drug problem divide us. Can we change things? Yes we can, and we will. Join us! Together with your police, your friends and your neighbors we can make a difference.

William H Matthews
Chief of Police

CASD

The school board will hold a budget meeting tonight at 6 p.m. in the 9/10 Center auditorium.

The board will have its regularly scheduled meeting Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the 9/10 Center.

RDA

The Coatesville RDA will be meeting tonight at 6 p.m. in City Hall.

Mug Shots

Click to Enlarge

WANTED

DRUG ARRESTS

If you missed it over the weekend:

A more than two-year investigation led to the arrest of 22 key individuals allegedly involved in Coatesville's drug trade. Among those arrested: Richard Legree Jr., who was on house arrest at his father's home when captured Thursday. And several of those arrested were former Young Guns members.

While the long-term, full-time investigation proved to be fruitful, more operations like it may not be happening any time soon here, due to upcoming layoffs. The layoffs will put detectives in patrol cars and eliminate the Coatesville Police Department's detectives and drug units, according to several sources familiar with the plan.

While the district attorney has pledged to assist in any way he can, his office cannot provide the manpower to continue such operations.

New Daily Local Link

The Coatesville Side Bar can now be accessed directly through the Daily Local News. However, you can still access previous blog postings at http://coatesvillesidebar.blogspot.com. And remember to change your favorites to this site as this is where all new updates will be posted.