Warm weather does tend to bring out the criminal element in Pottstown. Since May 18th there have been a number of incidents of gun violence reported by the Pottstown Mercury and WFMZ-TV.
Here is a recap of what’s been going on:
Armed robbery at the Gulf Station on High Street on May 18th: http://m.wfmz.com/pottstown-armed-robber-on-the-loose/26046054
Student arrested at Pottstown High School, allegedly robs another student at gunpoint on May 28th: http://www.pottsmerc.com/general-news/20140528/updated-student-arrested-at-pottstown-high-school
Shooting near Brian’s Cafe (scene of a murder last year) on May 31st: http://www.pottsmerc.com/general-news/20140531/updated-late-night-pottstown-shooting-sends-man-to-hospital
Armed robbery at Wells Fargo Bank on High Street (East End) on May 31st: http://www.pottsmerc.com/general-news/20140531/updated-high-street-bank-robbed-fbi-seeks-armed-suspect
Police investigating gunshots near Wilson and Spruce Streets on June 2nd: http://www.pottsmerc.com/general-news/20140602/pottstown-police-investigating-gunshots-near-wilson-and-spruce-streets
Police are investigating a shooting in Pottstown on Chestnut Street on June 3rd: http://www.pottsmerc.com/general-news/20140603/updated-man-injured-after-shooting-in-pottstown-video
UPDATE: Police are investigating a homicide on Jefferson Avenue in Pottstown on June 5th: https://www.facebook.com/CrimeInPottstown and also the Pottstown Mercury: http://www.pottsmerc.com/general-news/20140606/man-found-dead-in-car-in-pottstown
I think the examples above should be some kind of RED FLAG that there is a problem with violent crime in the borough. And frankly, these are just the big incidents that I could find quickly to illustrate this problem. A town of 22,480 (2012) should not have this much crime.
People are afraid. People should expect more for their extremely HIGH TAXES. If the Pottstown Police Department is overwhelmed then by all means call Harrisburg and ask for some help. HINT: Kathleen Kane’s Office for starters. There is nothing wrong with asking for assistance. Be proactive instead of reactive. Maybe “keeping a lid on the powder keg” needs to be replaced with a better strategy?????
Roy's Rants - For Your Information 
Reblogged this on and commented:
In November 2012, Tom Bartman, published the following information on his blog – on the Patch online news after taking an informal poll about what holds Pottstown back. Crime ranked high but higher, by two points, was that most Pottstownians believe local government is the problem.
The data from neighborhood scout drives other sites such as locationinc.com. NeighborhoodScout has been used in reports on AOL’s DailyFinance. But it still does not answer whether the data is accurate. NeighborhoodScout’s disclaimer states no warranty of accuracy, although the algorithms used claim to provide enterprise-grade data. It is therefore important to look at a second source, BestPlaces.net/crime.
According to BestPlaces, crime data is compiled from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Uniform Crime Reports. Plugging Pottstown into the site reveals not the level of detail NeighborhoodScout provides, but provides a general crime index from 1-10. Based on FBI data, a higher number corresponds with more crime. With a state average of 4, Pottstown ranks 9 for violent crime and 7 for property crime.
Using BestPlaces and comparing the same cities in PA above, Pottstown has a higher crime rate than Allentown, Reading, Philadelphia, Coatsville, Norristown, West Chester, Quakertown, Conshohocken, Phoenixville, and Royersford. In addition, BestPlaces supports NeighborHoodScout in that the crime rate in Pottstown is higher than Chicago, New York, Compton, and Los Angeles.
This data clearly supports Pottstown residents’ concern of crime in the poll. Whether it keeps Pottstown from success is a decision for the individual. But ask yourself, can a city with an actual or perceived high crime rate be successful? Statistics have shown, since 2010 that crime will be higher in 2014 – has there been any recognition/preparation for this from government officials? It definitely does not look as though it was important to them.