VIDEO Coatesville Community Day-Sergeant Ollis receives awards. Pastor "D" Rev. Derrick Johnson spoke

There was a highly informative, emotionally charged, coming together of clergy, police, law enforcement, educators and community at the Coatesville Community Day, August 28, 2016 at Abdela Park in the City of Coatesville.

You might say that Coatesville Police Sergeant Rodger Ollis was the 'Star', deservedly so.

The forum was the main attraction, for adults. There was also food.

Pony rides and games for children.

The Daily Local News had photos:
PHOTOS: Coatesville Community Day held at Abdala Park

There were 3 other police/community forums held in the City of Coatesville.

For some reason these are politically partisan events by default. Republicans were invited but no Republican officials showed up. 

I guess it's in the GOP "Black lives matter." category and out of bounds for Republican elected officials in today's Trump dominated Republican Party. 

I think this event was brilliant and emotionally charged. 

The forum was almost 3 hours long. I broke it down to a total of 49 minutes and 55 seconds here.

Please excuse the shaky parts. 

I separated that video into 3 smaller parts:

Crime and violence in our community. A wide ranging panel discussion integrating the community, law enforcement, clergy and educators. At Abdala Park, Coatesville, PA, August 27, 2016. 

Elwood Dixon, "Each of us has a talent for doing something positive. Some of us are good at communicating with others. Some are good to organize movements...In order to achieve positive results, we must have positive attitudes... 

It will take the coming together of our government, law enforcement, our school system, our churches and our community... Only a joint effort will get us where we want to be." 

Pastor Derrick Johnson,  "Pastor 'D", "In my first conversation with President Obama;:Right at the top was violence in schools.Right at the top was community relationships with police.Right at the top the disproportionate ratio of black incarcerated, African American incarcerated as opposed to other ethnicities..."In order to deal with the problems that you face. It's very, very important from here that you listen closely to these next words if you are serious about changing your community.  

Let's be real... We're not talking about people you don't know. We're talking about your sons. We're talking about your daughters. We're talking about your nephews. We're talking about your grandchildren...
Pay attention, the next dead person could be your son, your grandson or somebody in your family." 

“And by the way just in case you think I don't know what I'm talking about, after fifteen and one half years in prison, six and one half on death row, three and one half in one cell with twenty three and one half hours a day. For picking up a gun and shooting somebody who was a drug dealer who was attempting to beat me up and rob me in the community with that blurred line. And then fifteen years later being vindicated and extracted from prison on a self defense executive pardon. I think I know a little bit about being a scared little sixteen year old boy that made the wrong choice.”

After nearly two homicide free years the City of Coatesville, PA has had a series of murders involving illegal drugs, seven homicides so far this year.  

This is Part 2 of a video of a forum for police, community members, clergy, judicial members and Coatesville School District educators held at Abdela Park in Coatesville, PA on August 27, 2016. 

Coatesville, PA  Police Lieutenant Audett “We try to take that a little further. We encourage our officers to get out of the vehicle, stop in the businesses to see how store owners are making out. 
And while were out of the car to have a conversation wit members of the community. We find that the police vehicle is a wall that we have between the community. We don’t have that conversation, hello, how are you today? And that small interaction might be a difference that the community member might tell us of a problem on their street.” 

Coatesville, PA Police Sergeant Ollis “Our police department under the leadership of Chief Jack Laufer and my Lieutenant, there’s been a shift in our policing strategy. We have moved from law enforcement to policing…  

Because we are only as successful as the community. So we need to have those conversations. We need to foster and then maintain constructive relationships. 

And if I would ask anyone in the audience what the two most important things were in a relationship most of you would say, communication and trust. And the only way you can establish a relationship is if you first meet someone. So that’s why we are putting the car in park getting out and having valuable dialogue, joining conversations like this and being transparent.” 

Judge Gregory Hines “If you see a person who has been in prison, most of the time…They started out not going to school. 

Pastor Derrick Johnson - “Pastor D”  “This goes to say about how we think, and when I say we I mean those of us who are in prison as opposed to those who send us to prison. Now the Judge has a good perspective. Most of us find out we  start much earlier than the bad decisions than school.  

Most of us will in fact judge tell you that we mimicked and did some things at home that mom and them never really knew we were into. And most of us lost enchantment and interest in school. Most of the dropout rate for us was, I ain’t feeling school no more.  As opposed to I dropped out of school and then got bad. We lost interest and the street or some other lifestyle was more attractive than going to school.” 

Coatesville Area School District Superintendent Cathy Tascher“I want to add to something the Reverend said that was so powerful, that was about how early children become disengaged in school
And one of the things that we see the Coatesville School District doing is saying we’re not going to wait until school.  

I’m so proud that Monday we will open a preschool that not only engages young children but, engages the parents, the family and the other thing the Reverend talked about was people who know the community, who know the parents. And our teachers will be doing home visits with the parents with the families.” 

Josh Maxwell “In this city you have 83 churches or places of faith and that's 10,000 people that worship here every single Sunday.
The City’s only 1.3 square miles and there’s only 13,000 people living here. You can do a LOT with an army like that in terms of tackling poverty and education.” 

Senator Andy DinnimanSenate Bill 880, championed by Senator Andy Dinniman unanimously passed, was signed into law by Governor Wolf as Act 1 of 2016. But delayed by the Department of Education… 

“We wind up blowing 1.1 Billion dollars on testing. Think about what that money could be doing in our schools...  

The bill says the Department of Education can no longer use the Keystone Exam as a judgement for graduating the students. The Department of Education has gone around the Senate and continues to use the Keystone Exam as a vehicle for graduation.” 

“I can assure you when the train station is built, it will be built with people from Coatesville… 

The money’s there. That’s not the problem. The problem is Getting PennDOT to move…”

After nearly two homicide free years the City of Coatesville, PA has had a series of murders involving illegal drugs, seven homicides so far this year.  

This is a video of a forum for police, community members, clergy, judicial members and Coatesville School District educators held at Abdela Park in Coatesville, PA on August 27, 2016. 

Rita Perez - Caln Elementary School PrincipalPart of reducing violence is enforcing discipline. We work with our students to help them become confident learners. 

Kim Donahue - Assistant to the Superintendent I worked at Gordon Middle School for many years and had many opportunities to build relationships with students. After coming back after about 15-20 years. I still see them but now they are about 38 years. That’s exciting to see how they’ve grown.  

Coatesville PD Sergeant Rodger Ollis received two awards: 

Coatesville - Downingtown Rotary“Thank you’Sgt. Rodger Ollis and Family’ 

Another award from:Nehemiah Community Development CorporationCertificate of AppreciationPresented toSergeant Rodger Ollisof the Coatesville Police Departmentfor Exceptional Community Involvement/Service 

The individuals who made several events like this one happen in the City of Coatesville asked our Republican State Representative Harry Lewis to speak at the events.  

He refused. 

He allegedly said, “Police said they cause trouble.” 

You would not think that Police and the community cooperating to make a safer city is a partisan issue but since Donald Trump has a headlock on Republican candidates I suppose it is.

If you want to watch the entire video it's here:

POLICE / COMMUNITY FORUMS produced by Concerned Citizens of Coatesville:

Police forum held at New Life inChrist Fellowship in Coatesville 

By Lucas Rodgers, lrodgers@dailylocal.com POSTED: 06/19/15, 7:00 AM EDT |

‘Know Your Rights’ meeting held at New Life in Christ Fellowship 

By Lucas Rodgers, lrodgers@dailylocal.com POSTED: 08/27/15, 10:06 PM EDT | UPDATED: ON 08/27/2015 Police chiefs speak at forum in Coatesville

By Adam Farence, Daily Local News POSTED: 11/08/15, 5:47 PM EST | UPDATED: ON 11/08/2015

For some reason these are politically partisan events, by default. Republicans were invited but no Republican officials showed up.

State Representative Harry Lewis was asked to speak at one of these events:

With 3 witnesses present Harry said, “No”, he did not support the police community meetings.

When asked, "Why?'

Harry allegedly said, “Police think they cause trouble”.

Our local police chiefs, District Attorney representative at the meetings were asked if they said the meetings “cause trouble”. Their answer of course was, "no."

When Harry Lewis was asked, Who told you the forums cause trouble?” Harry would not answer. 

Maybe it was these police:

Fraternal Order of Police union endorses TrumpBy Tom Jackman September 16

I'm just guessing but I think the Tea Party racist extremist and now Donald Trump have the Republican Party in a headlock and cannot be "soft" on any hint that "Black lives matter."  Even a black man like Rep. Harry Lewis can’t take that chance.