Comparing Towns: Norristown Police Tactics Focus On Community

Editor’s note:  The difference is that when Norristown searches for new employees, they actually hire the best qualified people instead of just moving people up and perpetuating the same bad policies like Pottstown (under the guise that Pottstown is so complicated nobody could come in and “figure it out” in less than a couple years).  Sorry, new ideas are needed.  Congrats to Norristown for being proactive and embracing change. Apparently, it’s working!

Pottstown and Norristown are the two largest urban areas in Montgomery County and share many of the same challenges, particularly when it comes to crime.

In the wake of the wave of violence in Pottstown which culminated in last month’s arrests of more than 30 people involved in an apparent gang war, a community meeting about crime was held recently in Norristown that focused on what police and authorities are doing now, and how citizens can help.

Norristown Police Chief Mark Talbot Sr. has been asking that question since he took over leadership of that department two years ago, and he’s starting to see answers get results.

In the last two years, major crimes in Norristown have dropped by 20 percent.

Read more:

http://www.timesherald.com/general-news/20150608/comparing-towns-norristown-police-tactics-focus-on-community

Two Shooting Victims — One Fatal — Found In Plymouth Were Shot In Norristown

NORRISTOWN, PA – A 28-year-old man who was shot in Norristown Monday night was discovered mortally wounded in Plymouth Township, according to a press release issued by the Norristown Police Department and the Montgomery County District Attorney’s office.

Police were called to the 1200 block of Locust Street at 8:52 p.m. and discovered shell casings and other evidence at the scene. Norristown police said two people were shot. The release stated that while police were investigating, the victim was found in Plymouth Township.

Read more:

http://www.timesherald.com/general-news/20150407/two-shooting-victims-x2014-one-fatal-x2014-found-in-plymouth-were-shot-in-norristown

Norristown Police Collaborate With Social Services For ‘Whole Government’ Initiative

Editor’s note:  Alas, Pottstown leadership doesn’t seem to get this concept.  Two thumbs up to Norristown leadership for being proactive and thinking outside of the box.  We like what we are seeing.

NORRISTOWN, PA – Police are called with increasing frequency for complaints about a homeless man with mental health issues. A boy who lives in a household familiar to authorities for domestic issues has started skipping school and breaking curfew. An unemployed mother of three with no previous criminal record is arrested for drug possession.

These are examples of bad situations that many law enforcement officials agree often get worse.

But what if that was not necessarily the case? What if police and other public health and safety professionals collaborated on these cases using a comprehensive strategy that enabled them to mitigate risk factors and intervene to address small infractions before they snowball into larger ones, effectively reducing and preventing crime?

That is the goal of the Whole of Government concept, presented at the 2015 International Conference on Proven Collaborative Strategies for Improved Community Wellness and Safety recently held at the King of Prussia Radisson and conducted by the Penn State Justice and Safety Institute (PSJSI). The concept, which has a proven track record of success in Canada, is being implemented by a small number of forward-thinking law enforcement agencies in the U.S., including Norristown.

Read more:

http://www.timesherald.com/general-news/20150404/norristown-police-collaborate-with-social-services-for-whole-government-initiative

Philadelphia ‘Swiss Cheese’ Indecent Exposer Arrested At His Norristown Home

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

NORRISTOWN, PA — The alleged “Swiss cheese pervert,” Christopher Pagano, 41, of Norristown, was arrested Thursday morning as part of a joint investigation between Philadelphia and Norristown police, according to NBC10.

Pagano is suspected of being the “Swiss cheese pervert,” infamous throughout the area for his penchant for propositioning women to perform lewd acts on him using Swiss cheese.

According to NBC10, the suspect was described as a heavy-set male between the ages of 40 and 50 with a goatee. Police also said he was driving a newer model silver sedan but has also been spotted in a black colored sedan.

Read more: http://www.timesherald.com/general-news/20140116/philadelphia-swiss-cheese-indecent-exposer-arrested-at-his-norristown-home

Former Reading Police Official To Head Norristown Department

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

Editor’s note:  It appears Norristown had its act together when it came to finding the most qualified candidate for their new police chief.   Notice they didn’t just move up the next guy in line.  Making these kinds of smart hiring decisions will help Norristown revitalize, making it safer for residents and more attractive to development.

Mark E. Talbot Sr., Reading’s former deputy police chief who left in 2011 to lead a state bureau, has been appointed police chief in Norristown, the seat of Montgomery County.

After an eight-month search, borough council appointed Talbot, 43, on Wednesday.

He’ll be sworn in Nov. 19 and will be paid $117,000.

“It’s a great place for me to be,” Talbot said Thursday of Norristown. “They have some challenges that I can be a part of making a whole lot better.”

Read more: http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=518524

Former Norristown Cop Sentenced To 17 Years In Drug Case

Location of Norristown in Montgomery County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

MONTGOMERY COUNTY COURTHOUSE — A Montgomery County judge sentenced a retired Norristown police officer to 17 to 50 years behind bars Friday for selling methamphetamine and prescription pills and using his old police badge and license plate as clout to do it.

In July, a jury found Jack Pennington, 68, of Upper Merion, guilty of 16 out of 21 drug-related felonies stemming from a wiretap investigation spearheaded by Montgomery County Detectives and their Narcotics Enforcement Team (NET).

In June 2012, undercover operatives arrested Pennington at the Plymouth Meeting Mall as he was about to meet his supplier.

“His criminal conduct has had a significant negative impact on the community, and this type of criminal activity merits a significant sentence,” said Common Pleas Judge William R. Carpenter. “A lesser sentence would depreciate the seriousness of this kind of crime.”

Read more: http://www.timesherald.com/general-news/20131011/former-norristown-cop-sentenced-to-17-years-in-drug-case

Norristown Teen Shot In Broad Daylight

Location of Norristown in Montgomery County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

NORRISTOWN — Norristown police responded to Scott Alley on the 1000 block of Willow Street Wednesday after a 911 call reporting a 16-year-old boy had been shot at Willow and Elm streets just after 6 p.m.

Norristown Police Chief William Richet said the bullet went through the victim’s chest, but he was in somewhat stable condition.

“He was able to tell us his name and how old he is when we arrived,” Richet said.

The teen was taken away in an ambulance and later flown to University of Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia.

Read more: http://www.timesherald.com/article/20130814/NEWS01/130819820/norristown-teen-shot-in-broad-daylight#full_story

Norristown Police Searching For Suspect In Corson Street Shooting

Location of Norristown in Montgomery County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

NORRISTOWN, PA — Police are searching for an unknown person who fired multiple shots on the 300 block of Blackberry Alley Thursday night, injuring a young man.

At approximately 10:09 p.m. police were dispatched to the 600 block of Corson Street for a report of a shooting. While officers were on their way to the scene, dispatch told them seven to eight shots had been heard and a male victim was on the ground.

Police arrived on the 300 block of Blackberry Alley and found the victim lying on the ground with a gunshot wound to the leg.

The victim identified himself to police and told them he was just walking by when he heard the gunshots and was hit in the leg with a bullet. He was taken to Paoli Hospital by Plymouth Ambulance to be treated for his wound.

Read more:  http://www.timesherald.com/article/20130802/NEWS01/130809920/norristown-police-searching-for-suspect-in-corson-street-shooting#full_story

Police Nab 2 Suspected Drug Dealers In Columbia

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

Two suspected heroin dealers were arrested during an aggressive driver detail in Columbia on Friday, police said.

Columbia Borough police were conducting the detail on Route 30 East at the Route 441 overpass.

Officers stopped a silver 2012 Mazda sedan traveling 82 mph in a 55 mph zone, police said.  They discovered that Norristown police reported the vehicle as stolen on July 14.

Read more: http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/876213_Police-nab-2-suspected-drug-dealers-in-Columbia.html#ixzz2aIXfJM4B

Norristown Homicide Victim Identified As King Of Prussia Teen

Location of Norristown in Montgomery County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

NORRISTOWN — Police have identified the victim of a fatal Independence Day shooting as Tyreek Fairel, 19, of King of Prussia. Fairel was declared dead at 11:18 a.m. Friday morning from a gunshot wound to the head he suffered Thursday evening in the area of Marshall and Violet streets.

A 19-year-old Ambler man, whose name is being withheld by The Times Herald, was shot in the arm during the incident and is, according to police, going to be “OK.”

“This is the most peculiar case we’ve ever seen,” said Norristown Police Chief Willie Richet. “We don’t even have a crime scene.”

Richet said the surviving victim was supposed to make a statement Friday at the Norristown police station, but never arrived.

Read more:   http://www.timesherald.com/article/20130705/NEWS01/130709823/norristown-homicide-victim-identified-as-king-of-prussia-teen

Man In Stable Condition After Early Morning Shooting In Norristown

NORRISTOWN — A 27-year-old man was shot multiple times in the area of Main Street and Haws Avenue at 2:40 a.m. Wednesday.

He was air lifted to Jefferson hospital for treatment.  He is in stable condition and recovering.

Read more:  http://www.timesherald.com/article/20130703/NEWS01/130709885/man-in-stable-condition-after-early-morning-shooting-in-norristown

Norristown Municipal Administrator Responds To ACLU Lawsuit

Location of Norristown in Montgomery County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

NORRISTOWN — Norristown is standing by its rental license ordinance as it is written and declared in a statement that in no way does it “discriminate against any persons, nor does it punish victims of domestic violence.”

The Norristown ordinance penalizes landlords and encourages them to evict their tenants when the police are called to a property three times in four months for “disorderly behavior,” including responding to incidents of domestic violence, according to the federal lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) on Wednesday.

“The ordinance provision currently in effect contains all of the constitutional due process provisions required to protect the residents of Norristown,” said Norristown Municipal Adminstrator

 in the statement released Thursday, “explicitly stating that no property shall be condemned for any reason under Norristown’s property maintenance code based on occurrences of disorderly behavior, and stating that no tenant shall be evicted or forced to vacate a rental dwelling for violation of the ordinance provision.”

Read more:  http://www.timesherald.com/article/20130426/NEWS01/130429637/norristown-municipal-administrator-responds-to-aclu-lawsuit#full_story

Norristown Creates Citizen/Police Liason Group

In order to create a dialogue and understanding between Norristown Borough residents and the Norristown Police Department, a new group called Norristown Community & Cops Coalition Building Team was created.  The group trained for a year before being introduced to Norristown Borough Council on March 1st.  This is called being PROACTIVE!

There is a disconnect between residents of the borough and the police department.  The perception of many residents is that the police officers (who do not live in Norristown Borough) do not care about the residents.  Residents feel the police view everyone as a suspect and are treated badly by police.

What a great idea!  To read the full story from the Times Herald click here:  http://timesherald.com/articles/2011/03/16/news/doc4d7fb5d64a605873502311.txt?viewmode=fullstory