Amity Fires Police Officer Charged In Shoplifting Case

Map of Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States with township and municipal boundaries (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

AMITY TOWNSHIP, PA — The police officer charged with shoplifting hundreds of dollars in groceries has been fired by the township.

Following a Local Agency Police Tenure Act Hearing on Sept. 10, the Amity Township Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on Sept. 18 to terminate Cpl. Glenn A. Oesterling, effective immediately.

Township Solicitor Brian F. Boland said Oesterling would be notified by certified mail.

Supervisor Richard L. Gokey was absent from the meeting.

Read more: http://www.pottsmerc.com/general-news/20130921/amity-fires-police-officer-charged-in-shoplifting-case

Amity Police Officer’s Theft Case Moves To County Court

Location of West Pottsgrove Township in Montgomery County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

POTTSTOWN — A suspended Amity police officer will head to Montgomery County Court after a district judge ruled there was adequate evidence to keep all three theft-related charges against the officer.

Glenn Oesterling, 35, a corporal with the Amity Police Department, was stopped on June 18 after allegedly trying to walk out of the Giant Food Store in Upland Square without paying for his groceries.

Oesterling was charged with one misdemeanor count of retail theft, one misdemeanor count of receiving stolen property and one summary county of retail theft.

During Oesterling’s preliminary hearing Thursday morning in front of District Judge Scott T. Palladino, two asset protection officers from the supermarket testified that they saw Oesterling placing grocery items in blue, resealable freezer bags on June 12 and June 18, then bypassing the check-out aisles and walking out of the store.

Read more:   http://www.pottsmerc.com/article/20130726/NEWS01/130729575/amity-police-officer-s-theft-case-moves-to-county-court#full_story

Amity Officials Defend Handling Of Cop’s Suspension

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Berks County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Amity Township Police Department became the main topic of conversation Wednesday.

Township officials defended the way they handled the recent suspension of one corporal and, in an unrelated move, approved a temporary replacement for another corporal who is on active duty in the military.

Supervisors Terry L. Jones and Paul R. Weller said that the board did nothing wrong during an executive session July 3 where it approved Police Chief Kent A. Shuebrook’s decision to suspend Cpl. Glenn J. Oesterling.

The suspension, following Oesterling’s arrest for shoplifting, was not mentioned during the public portion of the meeting, which supervisors Chairwoman Kim J. McGrath did not attend.

Read more:  http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=493759

Amity Cop Charged With Stealing From Supermarket

Location of West Pottsgrove Township in Montgomery County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Editor’s note:  I hope this isn’t what it appears to be 😦

AMITY TOWNSHIP, PA — A township police officer has been suspended without pay after he was charged with retail theft for allegedly stealing more than $300 worth of food and merchandise from a Giant food store on two separate occasions.

Glenn Oesterling, 35, a veteran corporal with the Amity Police Department, reportedly walked out of the Upland Square Giant on both June 12 and June 18 without paying for the merchandise he allegedly put into blue reusable shopping bags in the shopping cart he was pushing.

According to a criminal complaint filed by West Pottsgrove Police, a loss prevention officer with Giant observed a man leave the store on June 12 without paying for six items worth $38.04 in the reusable bags.

The loss prevention officer used store surveillance footage to confirm what the items were and that the man “bypass(ed) all points of sale,” the complaint states.

Read more:  http://www.pottsmerc.com/article/20130708/NEWS01/130709443/amity-cop-charged-with-stealing-from-supermarket#full_story

Youth Leadership Conference To Be Held In Pottstown

The TCN Youth Development Committee in partnership with the Pottstown School District will hold a Youth Leadership Conference at Pottstown Middle School on Wednesday, May 15.  There will be several workshops on topics such as banking basics, social networking, safe dating, emergency preparedness, healthy lifestyles, drug and alcohol abuse, and stress management.

The Conference will also include brain break activities, an educational movie, and a resource fair for students to learn more about after school programs.  Students from both Pottstown and Pottsgrove Middle Schools will participate.

Special thanks to event sponsors:  Pottstown Area Health & Wellness Foundation, Susquehanna Bank, Coqui Studio, Wawa, Freshstart Fitness, Rita’s Water Ice, and Giant.  For more information, please contact TCN at 610-705-3301.

Stupid News

A highly intoxicated, 65-year-old man from Carlisle (old enough to know better) was arrested for the second time on Sunday after trying to steal a rack of ribs by shoving them down his pants!  Really!?!  Hey!  Let’s all tie one on and head over to Giant to steal some pork products!

The Darwin award-winner pulled the same stunt on May 22nd when he pleaded guilty to theft and public drunkenness (say it ain’t so Joe).

Because this is the second time the senior citizen has shoved ribs down his pants and tried to leave a grocery store without paying, (never a bright move) he is being charged with a second-degree misdemeanor.

To add to his stellar list of accomplishments, Sunday’s attempted rib heist was this dude’s sixth citation for public drunkenness in less than five months.  Sounds like somebody has a little alcohol problem!

Limerick Acme To Close In February

Acme closed their Collegeville Shopping Center store and moved it to 31 W. Ridge Pike, next to the new Court At Upper Providence Shopping Center, a few years ago.  Now it would seem the “new store” is under performing due to competition from Giant, Target and Wegman’s and will close by the end of February.

With the departure of Acme from Ridge Pike, the closest Acme stores within a 20 mile radius of zip code 19468 are Phoenixville, Norristown, Lansdale and King of Prussia.

The Wayne Acme is also on the chopping block along with three stores in New Jersey and one in Maryland.

Another big empty building!  Ironically, the old store in Collegeville was doing much better!  Just proves the grass is not always greener!

Food Recall At Giant

If you purchased any Giant brand spinach read this article!

http://www.phoenixvillenews.com/articles/2010/06/28/news/doc4c28c26ab67b4614949228.txt