What Will It Take To Make Pottstown Safe??

Less than a week after a historic meeting at Invictus Ministries, to address the recent wave of shootings in Pottstown, another shooting occurred Sunday afternoon! 

In broad daylight, a young man was shot after being “dropped off” in Pottstown’s central historic neighborhood.  This youth was evidently from “out of town”.  That raises all kinds of questions and could be another article.

With an admitted “drug war” being waged to control Pottstown, where does this leave us, the residents of Pottstown?  We were told Wednesday, that as citizens, we are not doing enough to aid police.  We need to step it up and report crime when we see it.  Okay, I will admit citizens need to be involved and help the police.  However, this situation seems to be beyond the scope of our own police department so “citizen involvement” at this juncture is fairly dangerous other than anonymous reporting of crime. 

If these “gangs” are willing to shoot someone in broad daylight it tells me they are fairly confident they can get away with it.  They are not afraid of our local law enforcement.  This brazen attitude would suggest we need to enlist additional help.  More preventive measures need to be put in place.  Telling people “if we put more police on the streets we will have to raise your taxes” is not a strategy.  Sorry, that is just lame.  If our taxes can not give us adequate police protection, we need to consider other creative solutions like outsourcing or mergers.  We need to be PROACTIVE, not reactive.

I urge our leadership to think outside the box.  People would be relieved if the State Police or other additional law enforcement professionals were enlisted to supplement our police department until this crisis is over.  What we are doing is not working.  This problem will continue until these criminals get a clear message they are not wanted in Pottstown and their lives will be made a living hell if they come here and ply their trade.  

There is no shame in asking for help!!!  Continuing to blame unarmed and untrained taxpayers is not going to solve this problem!

Other Pottstown blogs have commented on this subject as well:

http://savepottstown.com/2010/11/14-year-old-boy-victim-of-latest-pottstown-shooting/

http://codebluepulse.blogspot.com/2010/11/its-time-to-declare-state-of-emergency.html

http://sanatogapost.com/2010/11/22/reportage-and-commentary-on-sundays-pottstown-shooting/

Police Arrest Crime Spree Suspect While Sovereign Bank Robber Still At Large

Chalk up another win for the good guys.  Marcus White of Philadelphia was on a crime spree in Montgomery and Chester counties prior to his arrest on June 2nd.  The suspect has been linked to robberies in Lower Pottsgrove Twp., Limerick Twp. and Coatesville.  Mr. White shot a senior citizen in the leg during the Turkey Hill robbery in Lower Pottsgrove Twp. because the elderly employee could not open the safe.

There are two other male suspects involved that still remain at large.  The investigation into their participation in these crimes is ongoing.

Because one of the robberies includes a US Post Office, Marcus White is facing federal charges in addition to the convenience store armed robbery charges and a shooting! The suspect was stealing money orders, cash and lighters.

In related news, the Sovereign Bank in downtown Pottstown was the scene of an armed robbery Tuesday afternoon.   The suspect wore a mask and carried a gun.  He fled with an undisclosed amount of cash.  Customers were inside the bank during the robbery but no one was hurt.

The FBI description of the suspect is a black male, six-foot two and wearing an Air Jordan hoodie with a BMX-like face mask.  If you have any information, call the FBI at 215-418-4000 or the Pottstown Police Department at 610-970-6570.  A reward is being offered and you can remain anonymous.  The suspect is armed and dangerous but I think that goes without saying since he just robbed a bank at gun-point.

Let’s make this robbery another example of why crime doesn’t pay!