THE COMMUNICATOR

A COMMUNITY INFORMATION SERVICE

PROVIDED BY THE

POTTSTOWN POLICE DEPARTMENT

Dispatch: 610-970-6570     Administration: 610-970-6572     FAX: 610-970-6588

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Volume 3, Issue 9

September 2005

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NEW HIRES

 

On Tuesday August 16, 2005 Borough Council President Jack Wolf conducted a ceremony to swear-in Pottstown's two newest patrolmen; Twenty-two year old Officer Peter Yambrick, a 2002 Souderton Area High School graduate and twenty-three year old Officer Jonathan Gallagher, a 2000 Methacton Area High School graduate. Officer Yambrick, who is a 2005 Montgomery County Community College graduate, was formerly employed at Bergey's, Inc. in Harleysville, PA.  Off. Gallagher, a 2004 graduate from Penn State University, was formerly employed by IPC Public Safety in King of Prussia, PA.

 

Officer's Yambrick and Gallagher immediately began their Field Training, being directly supervised by Field Training Officers - Senior officers who specialize in training new officers - for the next sixteen weeks.  The addition of Officers Yambrick and Gallagher to our ranks brings our current staffing level to forty-one (41) officers.  In mid-August (2) more officers were added to our staff and are currently attending the Police Academy.  They will not "hit the streets" until January 2006, after graduation form the Academy.

 

We welcome Officers Peter Yambrick and Jonathan Gallagher to our ranks!

 

(From left to right) PPD Officers Peter Yambrick

and Jonathan Gallagher being sworn-in by

Pottstown Borough Council President Jack Wolf

 

WHAT'S UP WITH THE HELICOPTER?

 

Yes, it is a military helicopter.  No, we are not under attack.  No, there is not an emergency.  No, there is not a problem at Limerick Generating Station.  Over the past weeks we have received hundreds of calls about a military helicopter hovering over the Borough at various locations and illuminating street corners.

 

The helicopter that residents have been seeing and hearing belongs to the Pennsylvania National Guard, stationed at Ft. Indiantown Gap, in Lebanon County, PA and is part of their Counter Drug Program.  The PA National Guard Counter Drug Program "provides NO COST support to local, state and federal law enforcements agencies by providing trained guardsmen and state-of-the-art equipment to assist in office and field environments."

 

In the case of Pottstown, the PA National Guard has been providing assistance to us by providing aerial support to officers on the ground and by conducting air surveillance of drug activity in the Borough; prior to, during, and after High-Visibility Joint Drug Interdiction Initiative efforts.  This initiative is a cooperative drug and crime interdiction effort being conducted by the Pottstown Police Department and the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office, with additional support provided by the Montgomery County District Attorney's Drug Task Force and Narcotics Enforcement Team (NET).  Chief Flanders stated that "We are targeting drug activity in the Borough as well as addressing other criminal activity that has a negative affect on the quality of life for our residents."

 

While hovering both high and low over Pottstown, Guardsmen have been assisting officers by notifying them, by radio, of drug activity in progress and then providing illumination during high-risk interventions.  Additionally, Guardsmen have been videotaping and photographing drug transactions, buyers, dealers, and vehicles.  They have also been assisting us with tracking individuals and vehicles to determine points of destination and origin.

 

Thanking District Attorney Castor for his continued support, and the Pennsylvania National Guard for their assistance, Chief Flanders promises that "This initiative will continue as we work to rid our neighborhoods of drug traffickers and to improve the quality of life for our residents. As we continue in our efforts and as these investigations continue to unfold, there will be more arrests to come."

 

To read recent High-Visibility Joint Drug Interdiction Initiative Press Releases

 

 

CALLS FOR SERVICE -   July 2005

 

During July 2005, the Pottstown Police Department answered 2,290 calls for service.  Of these calls, 2,279 occurred in the Borough. (Note: The remaining 11 calls were requests for assistance by other Police Departments or other Law Enforcement Agencies.)

 

During the month we averaged 73.87 calls per day or, 24.62 calls per shift.  For the year we have answered 12,718 calls.  The daily average for the year is 59.99 calls per day or 20.00 calls per shift.

 

During July 2004 we answered 2,045 calls. We answered 245 more calls this month than last July.  This is an increase of 11.98% from last year.  For the year (2005) we answered 738 more calls than this time in 2004.  This represents an overall increase of 6.16%.

 

 

FOLLOW THIS LINK FOR AN ELEVEN-YEAR (1994 - 2004) POTTSTOWN CRIME STATISTICS COMPARISON

 

FOLLOW THIS LINK FOR A SIX-YEAR (1999 - 2004) POTTSTOWN P. D. CALLS FOR SERVICE COMPARISON

 

 

SAFETY TIP

 

 

"School bus transportation is safe. In fact, buses are safer than cars! Even so, last year, approximately 26 students were killed and another 9,000 were injured in incidents involving school buses. More often than not, these deaths and injuries didn't occur in a crash, but as the pupils were entering and exiting the bus. Remember these safety tips:"

 

Back to School Safety Tips

 

 

SEPTEMBER 2005 EVENTS (Special Events in Green)

(Detailed List Below)

 

FOLLOW THIS LINK TO VIEW A PRINTABLE POTTSTOWN BOROUGH CALENDAR

(Note:  To view the Borough's Calendar, you will first need to have Adobe® Acrobat Reader™ installed on your computer.)

 

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Copyright © 1999  Pottstown Police Department. All rights reserved.
Revised: September 06, 2005