An excellent comment was made in regards to my post. It makes too long a post to put both the comment and my answer on one post. Be sure and read the comment it has good stuff in it.
My answer to the comment:
We have major problems in the Codes Department but I think the court system and not the Codes Department is the primary problem with Codes Enforcement and that has always been the case. I believe that it’s partly true that the “bloc of four” dismantled the Codes Department but our former Director of Codes Francis Newhams, who actually wrote part of our new National Codes and is a speaker on National Codes, left to go help with relief efforts for the Katrina Hurricane.
The “bloc of four” also brought back John Tinson who had cocaine business in addition to being a Coatesville Codes Officer. Tinson’s girlfriend was Lisa Johnson Coatesville’s State Rep. Tim Hennessey’s business manager. I believe that Chester County politics interferes with Coatesville Codes enforcement.
The majority of codes offenses are from absentee landlords. Some of these landlords have codes offences in access of 180 court documents on the Chester County Magisterial District Court website.
And; Judge MacElree's, out of thin air and totally surprise, ruling put the whole system of serving warrants of Magisterial Courts by State Constables in Chester County on hold. It could take a long time, possibly a year or more for each separate municipality in Chester County to invent, and pay for, a new and effective system to serve warrants. Some landlords, and parking ticket violators may take advantage of the fact that warrants are not being served. I think that some Chester County municipalities are not even aware that they need to invent a warrant serving system. See:
It’s not just codes offences; I think you could call the Magisterial Court System the “friends and family courts”. Judge Koon was going to let a man that was stopped on Rt. 30 with a sawed off shotgun in his trunk go with what is essentially no bail cost. Just possessing a sawed off shotgun is a Federal violation. I believe he said that the law about the shotgun is a Federal one and he had no jurisdiction. The ADA intervened:
I don’t think it’s possible to, “Get out and be visible so people know who you are.” without coming across and talking to street drug dealers. Their lookouts notify when a police car is coming. But if you just walk down the street or drive in a civilian vehicle in Coatesville you just can’t avoid coming across an active street business. I think we need a City Manager who can talk to those street dealers.
We do have an effective CPD again.
Chief Bellizzie was extremely effective as Coatesville’s Police Chief. He was effectively removed (as I said he would be by the “bloc of four” in the summer of 2005 when no one believed me). One of the very first actions of the new Chief Matthews was to disband the Narcotics Division and fire one of Chester County’s most knowledgeable narcotics investigators, Matt Gordon. After Matthews plans to lay off 6 officers were known 14 Coatesville officers left. See letter to Joe Carroll: http://www.box.net/shared/ha1zzj1b7d . Shortly after that several gunshots were heard daily and people where digging bullets out of their homes walls in areas of Coatesville. I observed youngsters noticeably carrying concealed weapons. We had the running car gunfight with an AK-47. “Business was good again” and the streets of Coatesville were almost like the “Open air drug bazaars” of 1998.
I believe the arsons were a direct effect of the reduction of Coatesville’s Police Department. The arsons were an unseen effect of the reduction of police. The arsons brought in scores of undercover ATF and State Police officers that forced drug dealers to hire more lookouts. The street dealers also lost their white suburban business because they were subject to traffic stops when they came to Coatesville. I know of one dealer who was forced to get a 9 to 5 job when his street business failed.
I believe that Richard Legree partly fulfilled his dream of controlling the Coatesville Police Department by influencing the Walker Administration.
The Chester County Drug business is still multimillion dollar business and could be the largest business in terms of profits in Coatesville. I believe that Coatesville is a depot for Chester County’s drug businesses. One street business in Coatesville can bring in 1 M. There are ministers and other people in the area who look the other way when drug dealers put money in the collection box. There is a belief with a faint kernel of truth that the only way a black man can “make it” and help out relatives and friends is to sell drugs. I think that belief only harms the black population and everyone else.
There is lots of cash in the drug business for bribing public officials. When I go to the Chester County Courthouse the drug dealers in Coatesville sometimes are notified that I was there within minutes. I think it’s fairly easy to intimidate juries in West Chester. The recent results in the biker trial may be an example of that. See:
I think it’s too easy to intimidate witnesses and juries in Chester County Courts. I believe that when possible major drug crimes should be prosecuted in Federal Court.
There are still unresolved issues at Coatesville City Hall related to the former administration; for instance, the missing $168,000 in the 2008 budget. Joe Carroll had a forensic auditor, Manny Dechter, audit the 2008 budget. He found the same $168,000 missing that Thornton Barbacane found. I believe the missing $168,000 may have something to do with payments in cash to the City of Coatesville. I think the people involved are still on the payroll.
Paul Janssen’s primary effort was making the streets safe and he was run out of town. We do have a good police force again but I feel the court system may not always be on their side.
I think the primary opposition to the redevelopment came from those who benefit from the drug business of Chester County. I think the primary opposition to the redevelopment of Coatesville is still coming from those who benefit from the drug business in Chester County.
I believe some corruption remains within City Hall.
The revitalization of the City that came to a standstill with the “bloc of four” is coming about in a very big way. I believe that within 5 years Coatesville will be the major municipality in Chester County for recreation, business, residential real estate, transportation and shopping.
If a Coatesville City Manager can’t accept or handle all those elements to the job he won’t do us much good.
Be sure to read the comment. It is an excellent comment. The comment and original article is here:
FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2011
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