Location of Pottstown in Montgomery County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
What exactly does it take before the powers that be take Pottstown‘s out of control crime rate seriously and do something about it? Is this sorry state of affairs the best the citizens and taxpayers of Pottstown can hope for?
Maybe outsourcing the police department needs to be a consideration. $3 million dollars a year is a great deal of money to spend for a crime rate equal to Philadelphia and Reading! Hell, hire the PA State Police or the National Guard. I bet you’d get results then! How does a 5 square mile borough with slightly more than 22,000 people end up in this condition? Poor leadership!
Granted, one has to wonder what two people are doing standing in Buttonwood alley at 4am. We all know Buttonwood Alley is a high incident area so why aren’t we being proactive and doing something to crack down on crime once and for all!?! SEND A MESSAGE THAT WE WON’T TOLERATE THIS BEHAVIOR IN POTTSTOWN!
Numerous larger cities in Pennsylvania have a lower crime rate than Pottstown, as I have spelled out in earlier posts. What about surveillance cameras??? What about crime tracking software??? Again, can we say PROACTIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There are grants out there!
The next Chief of Police needs to be tough on crime. The current highly paid top cop shrugs his shoulders and blames Pottstown’s crime problem on its location between Reading and Philadelphia. No other towns along 422 have a crime rate anywhere near Pottstown (except Norristown – like that’s something to aspire to?????) And why is that? For $100,000 dollars a year I think the taxpayers of Pottstown should expect certain results and there needs to be accountability from a department head. Maybe if the people who make these big municipal salaries had to live in Pottstown they might care more about what goes on after 5pm when they take their pay check and leave town!
Here’s the latest news from the Fishwrap about Sunday morning’s double shooting in Buttonwood Alley: http://www.pottsmerc.com/article/20120415/NEWS01/120419669/update-police-id-mom-and-son-shot-in-pottstown-(video)
Roy's Rants - For Your Information 
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Roy, you’ve said it so well, there’s hardly anything to add. But, just for the fun of it, let’s sing it one more time in case Borough Council didn’t hear:
The operative word is P R O A C T I V E!!!!!!
Why, exactly, is that so hard to understand?
Thank you, Lisa. Just for the record, it is painful for me to have to write pieces like this. I take no joy it in.
My hope has always been that one day I would be writing and referencing articles about Pottstown like the recent piece I just posted regarding Lemon Street in Lancaster.
There is enormous potential in Pottstown! It needs to be cleaned up! The leadership all needs to embrace that idea for revitalization to happen. A few do but the majority does not.
Maybe others would like to join Lisa in singing the song! Maybe if enough of you sing along, Borough Council might hear you!
Yes, Roy, reading between the lines I see that you are still full of hope and optimism about Pottstown’s revitalization. Your comments (above) lack cynicism, which I appreciate very much! It is also clear that you want to reveal the truth behind the situation, instead of glossing over the unsightly parts. Your candor is refreshing. Please keep it up.
Still reeling from this event Roy, some days it feel like baby step forward and three back. I spoke with a (distant) family member of the duo that was shot and he said mama has a drug habit…like mother like son? All I can say is that the traffic in and out of the rental rooms at Loto’s leaves nothing to the imagination.
I have several dear friends with restored homes in the historic district and when I read these things I am frightened for you all! I didn’t go there with a speculation but it would seem standing in an alley in Pottstown at the hour of the day can only lead to no good! Cleaning up Pottstown needs to be somebody’s number one priority! Otherwise, Pottstown will continue her slide downhill. John Potts is probably rolling over in his grave! I am sure his vision is not the current reality! It’s certainly not mine! It certainly should not be anyone in a leadership’s idea of okie dokie!
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