by Steve Reinbrecht
Despite political rhetoric designed to terrorize us and polls that show many Americans live in fear, it’s been very safe recently in Southwestern Berks
County, according to police reports.
Western Berks Regional Police responded to a fight Sunday,
Sept. 18, just after 9 p.m. in the 100 block of West Penn Avenue, in Robesonia.
Two friends got into an argument and then a scuffle in a
borough backyard, Western Berks Regional Police Chief William Schlichter said.
Once police arrived, things were settled, and no one was
charged, he said.
The area had one burglary report in September, also in
Wernersville, on Monday, Sept. 12, in the first block of East Penn Avenue.
Burglary rates are good measures of quality of life and
security, so it’s heartening to see so few reported in the area. The idea of a
desperate intruder entering my house and tearing it apart looking for my
[non-existent] treasure is terrifying. I know burglary victims feel violated
and may grieve over the loss of their domestic inviolability. Hard to tell, but
maybe we can credit effective police and neighbors who know each other for the
lack of burglaries.
Anyway, this lone burglary in September was mundane –
nothing of value stolen from an abandoned building, with no leads, Schlichter
said.
Sinking Spring police reported an “opium-cocaine”
possession on James Street on Sept 2.
Police in Wernersville, Lower Heidelberg, South Heidelberg
and Sinking Spring reported 32 crimes together in September, down from 46 in
August.
Most were very minor, though they might not have seemed that
way for the victims. There were four reports of disorderly conduct, four of
fraud, five DUIs, six thefts and four acts of vandalism, all spread out across
the area.
Many frauds that local police report are cases of stolen
identity or credit card fraud, said Detective
Chris Stouch. If someone in Estonia steals your credit card information and
sells it to someone in Los Angeles who uses it at a Wal-Mart there, your local
police get the investigation.
So far in October, police reports comprise similar crimes.
Nothing in September compared to the murders and suicide that month in Sinking Spring that horrified the world.
Since you're good with open records and the UCR, there's a story in the lack of crime in Lower Heidelberg Township and the lack of work for the detective the township pays more than $100k/yr. What is he investigating or even doing? What crimes need investigating? The UCR shows most of the work being done by patrol officers. Maybe it's time the LHT PD stops spending money on dogs and detectives that go unused. Oh, and if you really want fun, look into the take home car perks in the LHT PD.
ReplyDelete