April 13, 2006 Issue                                               

©2006 The Chestnut Hill Local

Concerns about crime voiced at public forum
by JENNIFER KATZ

A rash of burglaries and attempted burglaries at the top of the Hill has some residents crying out for more police protection and at least one family so scared they chose not to report a crime on their property to the police.

At state Rep. Cherelle Parker’s (D-Philadelphia) town hall meeting last Thursday, concerns about crime dominated. Residents, all of whom have asked not to be identified, told tales of home burglaries, street crime and alleged gang activity. According to police reports, there have been at least eight incidents of burglary or attempted burglary, all except two occurring on the west side of Germantown Avenue, between West Evergreen Avenue and Chestnut Hill Hospital.

One man who spoke at the meeting said that he had been awakened by the sound of shattering glass in the early morning hours and the subsequent horn of his alarm system. He then found a large stone and broken glass on the floor in his home. A briefcase containing a cell phone, a blackberry and a wallet was stolen, according to police reports.

The police were on the scene within minutes, said the visibly shaken homeowner, who asked that his name and address not be used for fear of recrimination.

In fact, two Chestnut Hill residents said that another family in the same vicinity whose home had been burglarized recently chose not to report it, fearing that their name or address would be printed in the newspaper. The family is afraid of drawing more attention to their home, sources said.

Officer Calvin Johns, community relations officer for the 14th Police District, attended the meeting. He said police are aware of two suspects, believed to be working together, who are responsible for at least three of the incidents.

Johns and 14th District Capt. Winton Singletary, who also attended the meeting, urged residents to report crimes.

“It’s important that we know about all of the crimes that are being committed,” Singletary said.

The meeting attracted at least 70 residents and several elected officials, including Councilwoman Donna Reed Miller. Miller, responding to the concerns, said, “The police play the major role in safety and the truth is we need more officers.”

Eileen Reynolds, a Chestnut Hill resident, said the police need to be more forthcoming in regards to crime patterns on the Hill.

“A while ago there was a group of teenagers going around roughing people up. One incident happened to occur in front of my house and when I talked to the police officers they were aware that this group of kids had been doing this,” Reynolds said. “I was surprised that I hadn’t heard about it and I called the Local to see why it hadn’t been reported. The person I spoke to there told me that often they have trouble getting information from the police.”

Johns noted that the Local runs a listing of the crimes reported each week. But Reynolds said that wasn’t enough, nor was it the same as alerting the community to a crime pattern.

“I think we would benefit from that information,” Reynolds said. “I know that I would be better prepared and people I’ve talked to feel the same way.”

Another resident spoke about an alleged new gang hat has formed along Stenton Avenue in East Mt. Airy. Reportedly members of the gang identified an undercover agent who lives in the area and left a threatening note on his car. However, police denied that report and the presence of a gang.

“It’s a group of kids who live in that area [near Stenton Avenue and Allens Lane],” Singletary said. “They like to hang out on the corner, play loud music and smoke weed. It’s just basic nuisance stuff.

Singletary further said that the bike patrol was not dispatched to the area in response to a situation with an undercover agent.

“The bike patrol were there because that is the area they work,” Singletary explained. “There was a problem with the kids hanging out at two stores near there. Both [stores] were closed down due to code violations and one is now reopened.”

At the close of the meeting, Rep. Parker concurred with Councilwoman Miller that the city needs more police officers.

“Do we need more police officers? Absolutely. Crime is a problem not just here. If I go to a meeting with residents in Andorra or on Ogontz Avenue and tell them the police responded in three minutes here and provided bike patrol for three days in a row in East Mt. Airy, they would look me and ask why don’t they do that here,” Parker said.

Officer Johns encouraged residents to attend town watch meetings every third Monday of the month at the Fourth Police District, 43 W. Haines Street in Germantown.