Is business going to be good again in Coatesville?

Is the drug business going to be good again in Coatesville just like in 2007?

 “The agreement also stipulates the part-time officers will not be paid more than full-time officers and the department will have no less than 25 full-time officers at all times. Prior to any retirements, the city has 35 full-time police officers.” From:

 Police chief may take part in Coatesville retirement package

By ERIC S. SMITH

esmith@dailylocal.com

“The city has already terminated four full-time and four part-time dispatchers and its animal control officer.”

In a letter dated April 28, 2006 concerning choosing a new chief for the City of Coatesville Police Department District Attorney Joe Carroll wrote:

"Chief Bellizzzie did an excellent job in what is probably the most difficult law enforcement position on Chester County. The police department in Coatesville is understaffed and overworked, and has been for many years."

That last sentence, “The police department in Coatesville is understaffed and overworked, and has been for many years.” was written when the Coatesville PD had more staff members than we now have.

We cannot afford to lose police officers in Coatesville; if anything we should be hiring additional officers.

SEE LETTER BELOW

The new SEPTA and Amtrak train station will be here sometime in 2015. The Marriot Courtyard Hotel is open in Coatesville. The Velodrome is in the pipeline.

 The only fly in the ointment is Coatesville City Manager Gary Rawling’s plan to lay off Coatesville Police. That could make the drug business good again in Coatesville, with people digging bullets out of their kitchen walls and the SUR 13 gangs coming up from southern Chester County recruiting Coatesville's youth again. SEE:

DA: Sur-13 gang has presence in Coatesville

BY MICHAEL N. PRICE
mprice@dailylocal.com

Thursday, May 10,2012

From Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan:

"Violent crimes like this are a stark reminder of why Coatesville needs a strong and fully staffed police department," SEE:

Killing of Coatesville man, 19, seen as reason not to trim police force

January 26, 2012|By Kathleen Brady Shea, Inquirer Staff Writer

Our national economy is finally moving out of the ditch the GOP bankers put us in. The Republican Congress has cut off Federal support for local police. All over the country police are being laid off.  The Republican plan to sabotage our economy by putting police, firefighters and teachers out of work is not stopping our economy from coming back.

Coatesville has a Marriott Courtyard Hotel and a new train station and the National Velodrome is coming.

The fires are over and crime is down in Coatesville because our Police Department was rebuilt.  Coatesville is the best real estate value in Chester County and we are attracting new middle class residents.

Instead of focusing on bringing new revenue to Coatesville City Manager Gary Rawlings is focused on cost cutting.

Less police

= More crime

= People and businesses moving out of Coatesville

= Less tax revenue

= Less police

 A downward spiral

Mr. Rawlings is poised to balance the budget on the backs of the City of Coatesville Police.

But just when Coatesville is finally coming back is not the time to give our city back to the drug dealers and national gangs.

In 2008 a bunch of Coatesville retail businesses had enough of the armed robberies and closed but some long time Coatesville businesses waited for the "Bloc of Four's" inferno of terror to end. But if a storeowner has a gun pointed to his head while his cash register is emptied one more time he might decide that it's time to close up.

Armed robberies, muggings, news of street shootouts and people waiting in traffic jams caused by drug sales in the street doesn't fit with attracting legitimate businesses to Coatesville. If Mr. Rawling's PD reduction policies put drug dealers back in control of Coatesville's streets  businesses looking at Western Chester County might skip over Coatesville. 

Hopefully the Coatesville City Council will have the good sense to ignore Rawlings and take money out of the water authority sale fund to keep police working. And maybe the city council will admit that hiring Rawlings was a big mistake, buy out his contract and send him off to play golf. Who knows, maybe that’s what he had in mind when he came here. 

DISTRICT ATTORNEY JOE CARROLL'S LETTER