It seems like a long time coming, but 10 years ain’t long for what’s basically a city block long AMTRAK & SEPTA train station & adjacent buildings. “Construction on new Coatesville train station to start later this year, PennDOT”

"Roughly 15,000 cars a day that come from the west, down route 30 and they turn north to go to the bypass. What we want to do, what will happen with the train station, is to try to attract some of that traffic into that area which brings them right into the revitalization District and into the train station to enjoy amenities the that will exist around that." - David Collins

 

RDA Chairperson Joseph DiSciullo, “If you remember we added one item to this meeting and that would be the “letter of cooperation that we are going to issue to PENNDOT for the train station project. Basically what I’d like to get is approval of the letter so I can sign it.”

RDA Solicitor Mr. Mancini, “Well basically you would be passing a resolution to endorse a letter of cooperation amongst the city, the RDA and the County to amend some issues.”

Mr. DiSciullo, “Is everybody OK with giving me the authority to sign that once that letter is completed and reviewed by our solicitor.

Mr. Matt Baker, “We need a motion… I’ll make a motion for you to sign.

Mr. DiSciullo, “Thank you Matt. Could I get a second? Thank you Jack. All those in favor; Aye?  Any opposed?

FROM:

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

"PENNDOT plans to have the train station open 2015" Next Coatesville RDA meeting June 1st

***

"A long-awaited project to build a new train station in Coatesville appears to be on track to begin construction this fall, marking an important step forward in efforts to revitalize the Chester County city. 

PennDOT officials announced a bid opportunity for the project this week, advising contractors that a pre-bid meeting will be held virtually on July 27 and submissions will be accepted through the agency's Engineering and Construction Management System.

The goal is to start construction on the project late this fall."

MORE AT:

JULY 14, 2021

Construction on new Coatesville train station to start later this year, PennDOT says

The project aims to revitalize the city and increase service to the area

Michael Tanenbaum

***

There were several Coatesville Train Station meetings at the Methodist Church in Coatesville.

The Methodist Church has quite a commitment to the City of Coatesville.  I believe part of the parking now used by Amtrak riders was made available by the Methodist Church. 

Saturday, August 21, 2010

At the Olivet Methodist Church, Coatesville, PA. , August 19, 2010.

What follows is a lightly edited transcription of Robert Gibbs presentation.  

MORE AT:

Gibbs of Gibbs Planning Group speaking in Coatesville at thae “Plan the Keystone” Coatesville Train Station meeting

LINK TO DOWNLOAD PDF OF TRAIN STATION ROBERT GIBBS:

https://app.box.com/s/9xh95vip66jg0ewdti15v44husoatrxs

Senator Andy Dinniman,

The station is not meant to just simply be a station. You are going to see you later on as more people talk about.

The first floor of this station is going to be both a waiting room and an entrepreneurial center.

It will be built in the way that other floors can be put on top of it. If Harry and I succeed and we get our multi-modal grant, which is a very different kind of grant to get, if we get it we will be able to offer people to do the other floors with 70% state funding and 30%, from naturally, from themselves.

We have already identified a number of organizations and entrepreneurs who are interested in that arrangement. 

MORE AT:

Friday, February 20, 2015

Train Station Meeting Coatesville, Methodist Church Jan. 29. 2015 OVERVIEW

***

“I'm, David Collins, a former council member. There's so much potential here in Coatesville, it's unbelievable. It's like a lot of untapped energy. Everybody has a lot of ideas.  There are a lot of resources out here and a lot of people that are inside as well as outside of Coatesville that want to help, 

The only thing that we have to do is come together in order to tap into those resources. 

For example the train station here is the cornerstone of the keystone line. But the train station is also the cornerstone to the revitalization of Coatesville.

What we did on council over the past three years, we've defined the Revitalization District of Coatesville which is between Fleetwood Street on the north, and Kersey Street on the south.  First Avenue on the west and Forth Avenue on the east.

That area, the ultimate idea behind it, is to make that a friendly and walkable area. 

As some of the others will talk about, the Third Avenue streetscape that will happen and also the lighting of that area, the improvement of our colors. The adoption of our color palette that we have. And getting the community involved in that.

Another thing that goes along with that in attracting people into Coatesville is that as Jenn mentioned, you talk about traffic studies. 

Roughly 15,000 cars a day that come from the west, down route 30 and they turn north to go to the bypass. What we want to do, what will happen with the train station, is to try to attract some of that traffic into that area which brings them right into the revitalization District and into the train station to enjoy amenities the that will exist around that.

MORE AT:

Monday, April 6, 2015

2nd, 3rd, 4th & 5th stories of the Coatesville Train Station - Senator Dinniman - David Collins 

Maybe the lyrics don’t quite fit but I like this train song:

An introduction to the community leaders & public officials In the southeast corner of Pennsylvania fighting for green space: "2021 Green Region Award Ceremony"

 

2021 Green Region Award Ceremony from IV Creative Concepts on Vimeo.

This video is a good introduction to the community leaders & public officials In the southeast corner of Pennsylvania fighting for green space: "2021 Green Region Award Ceremony”

It's been a long time since I've been active with Schuylkill Riverkeeper, Perkiomen Watershed & Delaware River Network.  

I didn't see or maybe don't recognize anyone in the virtual Green Region Award Ceremony. I know many of the people I had the privilege of working with are still active. 

It appears that the Schuylkill Riverkeeper has evolved from a mostly watershed restoration/education network to a broader Schuylkill River Greenways. 

The Delaware Riverkeeper Network part: 

WATERSHED CONGRESS ALONG THE SCHUYLKILL RIVER

***

This is something that a disabled guy like me might be able to do:  

“In order to monitor the presence and/or distribution of litter along the Schuylkill River, water quality partners are launching a campaign to recruit “Community Scientists” to conduct 5-minute Visual Monitoring Assessments. Using their mobile device, these volunteers can simply record the trash accumulation or dumping points along a 100-foot section of the Schuylkill River via a user-friendly form accessible from a cell phone: bit.ly/litterform..

“Trash is important to address when talking about the health of a waterway because it’s often the most visually obvious form of pollution. Bacterial and chemical pollution are generally less directly observable, but when we see trash, it instantly informs our impression of a body of water,” said Chloe Wang, River Programs Coordinator at Bartram’s Garden. “And, it can point to larger problems. For example, near Bartram’s Garden, a lot of trash washes into the river from combined sewer overflows, which also introduce harmful bacteria into the water. It will be interesting to see how the presence of trash differs along various stretches of the Schuylkill.”

The Community Scientist visual assessments require no formal training and are meant to be a simple effort that any resident can complete.  We’ve developed an assessment survey, which can be accessed and submitted via a smartphone or tablet by opening the link in the phone/tablet’s browser.

“This is an opportunity for anyone with an interest in the Schuylkill River to spend time on the river and provide valuable feedback on the conditions of the river,” said David Bressler, Project Facilitator at Stroud Water Research Center. “Schuylkill River Greenways and its partners in this project are looking for motivated and dependable individuals to help them learn about the Schuylkill River and move in positive directions toward making the river more accessible to the community. Support from volunteers is very important and is greatly appreciated.”

The goal is to document critical areas of trash accumulation or dumping points in order to guide management efforts to better deal with this pollution. In addition to the multiple-choice questions to rank trash levels and quantities, this platform asks volunteers to submit a photo of the area and collects the GPS location. By utilizing this user-friendly platform, the data collected under this effort will be summarized and visualized by the project team.

“This project is an important study that we can hopefully use to connect people back to the river and show that the Schuylkill River is a place to be enjoyed by all,” said Michael Griffith, Education & Watershed Specialist at Berks Nature.”

MORE AT:

Schuylkill River Community Scientist Monitoring Project to Kick Off on World Habitat Day

Miica Patterson

Help Assess Trash Seen Along The River

***

Water Spirit

What is Lenapehoking ~ Watershed?

 

We are a wide-ranging, multifaceted art project that wants to introduce you to your watershed! 

the initiative winds its way through the landscapes and waterways of the Delaware River Watershed in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. 

Taking place from spring of 2021 to late fall of 2021, Lenapehoking~Watershed offers multiple opportunities for inspiration, refreshment, and learning. You're invited to discover new things, meet new people at outdoor cultural gatherings, and enjoy solitary meditations on art and nature. 

Water Spirit

Artist: Sarah Kavage

An array of site-responsive temporary sculpture installations, collaborations with other artists, and thoughtful events that are rooted, literally and figuratively, into the specific landscapes of the participating AWE Centers. 

Within the City of Coatesville it’s mostly unknown that a world class Velodrome & National Sports Center is coming to downtown Coatesville.

 

 

"The sale of 26.3 acres of land in Coatesville, Pennsylvania, has been approved by the local city council toward a future site that will include an indoor velodrome as part of a $50 million National Sports and Events Center.

Coatesville’s Redevelopment Authority, after a series of public meetings, project reviews and negotiations, recommended the sale to IDG Development LLC, a Coatesville-based company comprising a joint venture between New Heritage Properties and Activated Capital. IDG’s plan calls for development of the NSEC, which with its indoor cycling facility will both serve regional needs and become an international center for cycling.

'We have worked hard to assemble a dynamic team to develop and manage the NSEC that will drive opportunity and prosperity for the City of Coatesville for generations to come,' said Crosby Wood, principal at New Heritage Properties.

The Velodrome Development Foundation has pledged its support of the project by launching a $5 million capital campaign to attract philanthropic investments from regional nonprofit organizations as well as from a national network of cycling organizations and youth sports development advocates. Greg LeMond, three time winner of the Tour de France, is the Foundation’s honorary chair.

The venue in Pennsylvania will feature a 200-meter velodrome with state-of-the-art sound, lighting, scoreboards and live-streaming video capabilities. The infield is adaptable for many uses including a beer garden for tournaments and courts, and stages for a variety of sports, concerts and special events.

'The velodrome enhances our mission to enrich lives and positively change communities through world-class cycling and youth development programs that serve young people, including persons with disabilities, college athletes and aspiring international and Olympic and Paralympic competitors. We look forward to helping make this a huge success for the community and the nation,' says Stephen Whisnant, Velodrome Development Foundation president."

FROM:

Velodrome Moves Closer to Reality in Chester County

Land sale would lead to new National Sports and Events Center in Pennsylvania

Posted On : May 3, 2021 By : Matt Traub 

ALSO SEE:

NATIONAL SPORTS AND EVENTS CENTER

World Cycling Limited | National Velodrome

1980s Street-smarts were required at the Cheltenham Mall between our home in Mt. Airy Philadelphia & my workplace in Jenkintown PA. Gangs had turf wars at the mall. Today street-smarts are required when shopping nationwide. And the bullets come out of ARs.

 There were occasional gunshots at the Cheltenham Mall but mostly gang members used knives. It was possible to run away it you could run fast. 

Mostly I pretended to be not afraid. Something that came easily to me. I had lots of practice walking day and night in Philadelphia with a Nikon F at my side. Along with being able to run, that worked for me. 

In 2021 guns are everywhere & anywhere. You cannot run from bullets. 

The reaction to gunfire is the same as an infantryman. Drop to the floor. Be a difficult target while you assess what’s happening. 

Anywhere you shop in the USA can become a mass shooting war zone. That’s how we live now.

RELATED:

This truck was at Rt. 30 & Rt. 100 about 1000 feet from the Walmart

in Exton PA 24 HOURS AFTER THE El PASO WALMART SHOOTING.

Gadsden, US flag & a black & white American flag with a blue line across

the canter flew from the back of the pickup. The B & W flag with blue line was

used by Nazis at Charlottesville. A Hillary Clinton dummy holds the flags. 

Thursday, October 3, 2019

Chester County Sheriff Welsh is a Leadership member of CSPOA. What happens here in Chester County PA if Trump is removed and militia groups retaliate?

AND:

Monday, August 19, 2019

I got his plate # Pennsylvania ZFD-9734. The Nazi? guy in Black Chevy pickup at Rt. 30 & Rt.100 Exton PA day after El Paso

The WAP article, “Craving freedom from virus, U.S. heads into July 4 with sharply divided risk” is lousy journalism, ignoring Republican’s genocidal behavior. The Post-ABC poll doesn’t ignore the genocidal behavior of the GOP.

In the “Craving freedom from virus, U.S. heads into July 4 with sharply divided risk” article:

“Most ominously, the highly transmissible delta variant is on the rise and represents a quarter of confirmed cases, posing a greater risk to pockets of unvaccinated communities than earlier strains of the virus. The White House launched a new initiative to respond to regional flare-ups ignited by the delta variant, including in Mesa County, Colo., and a growing cluster along Missouri’s borders with Oklahoma and Arkansas…

‘The overarching sense in America is that summer is here, the pandemic is over and the party can begin. But in undervaccinated areas, where ironically a lot of this rhetoric lives and breeds, that’s the farthest thing from the truth,’ said Aditi Nerurkar, a global health specialist at Harvard Medical School.

‘I worry that the July 4 weekend could become a superspreader event in low vaccinated areas without the necessary precautions,”’Nerurkar added, noting that eating and socializing without masks in those places could create a “petri dish for a brewing delta surge.”

 “Craving freedom from virus, U.S. heads into July 4 with sharply divided risk”  is lousy journalism. The overwhelming reason for non-vaccinated people is the Republican Party and their main propaganda outlet Fox News. What the Republicans are doing is genocide. WAP brutally ignores the obvious to satisfy clients & GOP officials

The two words "politically conservative" in one sentence of the Washington Post article, “Craving freedom from virus, U.S. heads into July 4 with sharply divided risk” is a vague reference to the Republican Party genocide part of the US response to COVID-19 the now “Simmering epidemic”:

“Even highly vaccinated communities are vigilant against the rise of the delta variant because of neighborhoods and demographic groups, often young, of color or politically conservative, with below average immunization rates.”

MORE AT:

Washington Post

Craving freedom from virus, U.S. heads into July 4 with sharply divided risk

***

It appears that facts are harder to ignore in polling. 

"The differences between Republicans and Democrats on the issue of vaccinations are stark, just as they were about reopening the economy during the worst of the pandemic. The survey finds that 86 percent of Democrats have received at least one shot of a vaccine, compared with 45 percent of Republicans. Another 7 percent of Democrats say they are likely to do so, compared with 4 percent of Republicans.

But while 6 percent of Democrats say they aren’t likely to get vaccinated, 47 percent of Republicans fall into that camp, with 38 percent of Republicans overall saying they will definitely not get shots against the virus.

Most independents (54 percent) say they have received at least one shot and another 11 percent say they are likely to do so. Among independents, 22 percent say they will definitely not get vaccinated.

Regionally, there are significant variations in the rate of vaccinations, with lower rates in states dominated by Republicans. Seventy-five percent of adults in the mostly Democratic Northeast say they have received at least one shot. That compares with 62 percent in the West, 56 percent in the South and 53 percent in the Midwest. The Midwest shows the highest level of regional resistance to vaccination, with 27 percent saying they will definitely not get a vaccine.

In keeping with those divisions, Biden’s job performance is viewed in starkly different terms among those who have been vaccinated and those who have not. About 2 in 3 of adults who have gotten at least one shot approve of how he is doing his job, compared with fewer than 1 in 3 of the unvaccinated. Eight in 10 vaccinated Americans rate him positively for his handling of the pandemic, compared with fewer than 4 in 10 of those not vaccinated.”

MORE AT:

Washington Post

Post-ABC poll: Biden earns high marks for handling the pandemic, but many Republicans resist vaccination

 

In 1968 Walter Cronkite spoke truthful words about the Vietnam War. 

There are a few voices on internet sites voicing the truth. But most people see and hear corporate news, the news that multinational corporations want us to see and hear. Our news is dominated by corporate propaganda. 

 

We need a Walter Cronkite in today's corporate news. 

 

 In 1968 some journalists knew the Vietnam War was unwindable. Walter Cronkite was the journalist who presented that concept to the world. Everyone but the military industrial complex was tired of the war. 

Nixon ran on ending the Vietnam War but had no intention of ending the war. We found out that decades later. 

Nixon Prolonged Vietnam War for Political Gain—And Johnson Knew About It, Newly Unclassified Tapes Suggest

Nixon ran on a platform that opposed the Vietnam war, but to win the election, he needed the war to continue

Colin Schultz

March 18, 2013

How long before we learn the whole story of the response to COVID-19?

 

Bill Haines was our neighbor and friend. Bill was a long time election officer in Coatesville’s 4-2 Ward. Voters looked forward to seeing him at the polls

 Betty & Me were at our back door returning from vacation when we got a call that Bill had passed on. 

A librarian by profession, Bill was a studious supporter of various local Chester County, Democratic candidates and also Democrats across our nation. 

Bill carefully researched candidates. He often discussed Democratic candidates with me to help decide which to support. The final decision was always his own. 

He was employed for a time by the Merchant Marine as a ship’s librarian. He told me it was an opportunity to visit several countries mostly in, if I remember correctly, Europe and North Africa.

His health and a foot problem made walking painful and ordinary life difficult. 

I would look in on him when he lived in Coatesville. 

Bill was once assaulted and robbed while sitting on his front porch. The robber was a white man who evidently planned to rob old & disabled people as he walked through Coatesville. His home being near the Kurt Strauss Memorial Bridge marking the east end of the Lincoln Highway in Coatesville Bill was his first victim in Coatesville.  Bill called 911. The robber was stopped by Coatesville Police 3 blocks from Bill’s home. 

US Air Force Honor Guard 

I encouraged Bill to stay year round at his condo on the Ocean City, NJ Boardwalk where he also had friends and it was easier for him to get around. 

He desperately wanted to stay in Coatesville. Bill felt that Coatesville needed him. 

Bill Haines was also Bill Chertok’s friend. 

Bill Chertok, Elwood Dixon and now Bill Haines. Coatesville is losing its old guard Democrats. 

We miss them all. 

William Landis Haines

William L. Haines, 84, of Ocean City, NJ, passed away after a brief illness on Sunday, June 27, 2021, at Hickory House Nursing Home, Honey Brook.  Born in Coatesville, he was the son of the late I. Landis and Lillian R. B. Haines.

Bill grew up in Coatesville and was a graduate of S. Horace Scott High School, received a BS in English from Ursinus College, a MA in American History from Temple University, and an MS in Library and Information Service from Drexel University.  He served as an academic librarian in colleges in New York and Chicago, retiring from Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, NY. He lived in Coatesville and Ocean City following his retirement.

Bill was a life member of Olivet Methodist Church and the Coatesville Country Club.  He proudly served in the U.S. Air Force. He was also a member of The American Library Association and many other academic groups.

Books were indispensable to Bill.  He enjoyed concerts, plays, films and especially music! He was known for his annual Christmas letters, detailed summaries of his thoughts and activities.  In his 2002 letter, he related his feelings concerning the death of his beloved mother.  He wrote, "She was in her home where she belonged, surrounded by her things." Bill spent his final years in the same way, living in his condominium overlooking the ocean and the boardwalk. He enjoyed sitting on his balcony with his caregiver, John, who he loved and considered a part of his family.

He is survived by his cousins, Cheryl (Sherry) Brown Laub, Susan (Bob) Brown Kelshaw, Stephen Brown, Kevin (Patty) Brown, his dear friend, Sandra Kreiss-Schmidt, and his loving caregiver, John Gorman.  He was preceded in death by his fiance, Betty Page Garman Russell.

Funeral services will be held on Friday, July 2, 2021, at 11:00 a.m. from the Wilde Funeral Home, Parkesburg, with visitation from 10:00 a.m. until service time.  Interment and military honors will follow at Upper Octorara Cemetery, Parkesburg. Online condolences can be posted at www.wildefuneralhome.com

VIDEO- Lt. Rodger Ollis of the City of Coatesville PD delivered Balloons to my neighbor! AND: "For the first 15 years that Rodger Ollis worked as a police officer, he walked away from a lot of domestic abuse calls wondering if he had done enough."

 

I've lived in Coatesville, in Chester County PA, Philadelphia, Macungie, in Lehigh County, Trappe & Lower Frederick Twp in Montgomery County. And back to Coatesville PA where I was born & raised. 

The City of Coatesville Police Department is about as good as a police department can be. - James Pitcherella.

For the first 15 years that Rodger Ollis worked as a police officer, he walked away from a lot of domestic abuse calls wondering if he had done enough.

He wondered if he’d be back to the same home in a few days or hours.

Sometimes it was the victim who called police, other times a neighbor. Responding to these calls often put officers in the middle of volatile situations, with plenty of yelling and crying.

Sometimes there wasn’t enough evidence to arrest a suspected abuser. The criminal code, Ollis likes to say, is really good at handling a punch. But other types of abuse — emotional, financial — are harder to see and don’t always rise to a criminal level.

And even if he did arrest someone, Ollis said he didn’t know if the victim would reach out to a domestic violence program for help, if they would have the support to leave a relationship and move on with their life.

Then, about seven years ago, he learned how to use a new tool — The Lethality Assessment Program. 

There’s a lot of research behind it, but the sheet that Ollis and his fellow officers use to apply it to a domestic violence situation is short — just one page with 11 questions, plus space for victims to describe any other safety worries.

Ollis said the tool takes about five to 10 minutes to go through at the scene. And he said the process makes a big difference.

“It was the first time that I ever had an opportunity to prevent a homicide as opposed to just giving the victim a pamphlet,” said Ollis, a sergeant with the Coatesville Police Department in western Chester County.

Since the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence launched the Lethality Assessment Program in 2012, the group says it has helped suspected abuse victims speak with a domestic violence advocate or obtain other help more than 10,000 times.

Those advocates then help victims create safety plans, find emergency shelter, apply for protective orders, receive counseling and more.

Lois Fasnacht, a training specialist with the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence, said police and advocates give a warning to people flagged by the assessment as being at a high risk of violence at the hands of their abuser.

“They are told people in your situation have been killed. …Nobody’s probably ever said that to a victim,” Fasnacht said."

Nearly every police department in Chester County uses the screening tool. The program has expanded each year since 2012 and is now used in 49 out of 67 counties and by more than 360 police departments. Several rural counties, including Potter and Elk in north central Pennsylvania, added the program last year.

Coatesville joined an early pilot program in 2012. Police officers use the screening tool for intimate partners or former intimate partners

The department receives around 850 domestic disturbance calls a year, Ollis said. The lethality assessment tool is used in about 10 percent of those cases.

Officers will use the tool if they see signs of an assault, find that a protective order has been violated, in cases of stalking and harassment, or similar situations, Ollis said.

If someone answers yes to any of the first three questions, the police automatically flag them as being in high danger. Those questions are:

• Have they [the alleged abuser] ever used a weapon against you or threatened you with a weapon?
• Have they threatened to kill you or your children?
• Do you think they might try to kill you?

If someone answers yes to any of the first three questions, the police automatically flag them as being in high danger. Those questions are:

Have they [the alleged abuser] ever used a weapon against you or threatened you with a weapon?

Have they threatened to kill you or your children?

Do you think they might try to kill you?

If the victim answers “yes” to at least four of the remaining 11 questions, the victim is also considered to be at high risk.

• Do they [the abuser] have a gun or can they easily get one?
• Have they ever tried to choke you?
• Are they violently or constantly jealous or do they control most of your daily activities?
• Have you left them or separated after living together or being married?
• Is the abuser unemployed?
• Has the abuser ever tried to kill themself?
• Do you have a child that they know is not theirs?
• Do they follow or spy on you or leave threatening messages?

(The assessment includes he/she/they versions of each question.)

There are two additional questions that give suspected victims the opportunity to add anything else that worries them. Even if victims respond with a “no” to all the questions, officers could decide they are in a potentially lethal situation and decide to flag them as being at high risk.

“I tell officers that there’s no harm in calling [the hotline]. There could be harm in not. So trust their gut,” Ollis said.

Once police call the hotline, it’s up to the victims whether or not they want to speak to an advocate.

Ashley Folchman, coordinator of the Lethality Assessment Program for the Domestic Violence Center of Chester County, said an officer’s involvement can help break through a barrier for victims.

“For a lot of victims, they might have thought about leaving the relationship prior to that 911 call. For that victim, they might have looked up the (domestic violence) center on their own but been too afraid to call,” she said.

During the most recent fiscal year, police in Chester County screened people 425 times with the assessment. They flagged someone as being in high danger 244 times, and those high-risk victims spoke with a hotline representative 126 times.

Coatesville, a city of 13,000 with about 35 police officers, used the screening questions more often than any other agency in the county.

The program doesn’t focus on rehabilitating or punishing the alleged abusers. Instead, it focuses on ways to keep victims safe and to help them move on from a dangerous relationship. Ollis said the quick pass off to an advocate can help get at root problems, whereas simply arresting the abuser often may not.

“In many cases there are arrests. But arrests are a result. It’s not necessarily the answer,” Ollis said.

He said victims need to be empowered, cared for and counseled as “part of the process of making them whole again.”

In Coatesville, officers sometimes use a victim’s cell phone to make a call — and then encourage them to delete the call history, in case their abuser later looks at the call log.

The idea of using a victim’s cell phone is one that Fascnacht was initially reluctant to embrace. She and others with the coalition had concerns about an abuser finding out about the call.

But after watching that approach in practice, she changed her mind.

Victims told advocates that since the police were already involved in the situation, abusers were already mad. Calling a hotline seemed unlikely to make the abuser significantly angrier, she said.

MORE AT:

 Coatesville police say 11 questions can reduce domestic violence. Why aren’t more police officers asking them?

The program connects high-risk victims with an advocate.

December 12, 2019 | 5:00 AM Ed Mahon/PA Post

 

“Every community wants to know that individuals will be treated fairly by officers, without incident,” said Laufer. “We take that responsibility to heart and are taking the initiative to build relationships and provide thorough and constant education and training for our officers.'

Each year, all officers participate in two days of continuing education through Act 180 re-certification provided by the Municipal Police Officer’s Education and Training Commission, which provides legal updates and instruction that focuses on issues at the forefront of policing.

Also, in October, all police supervisors — including five corporals, three sergeants, a lieutenant, and the Chief — participated in a one-day class at the state-of-the-art Chester County Public Safety Training Campus, located in South Coatesville. Taught by retired Delaware State Police Captain Dr. Greg Warren, the program focused on advanced law enforcement ethics, conflict management, de-escalation techniques, and implicit bias — messages that the supervisors can now share with officers under their command.

Four supervising officers have completed the intensive three-week Leadership Development Program, which Chief Laufer helped create and taught at the State Police Academy in Hershey prior to his retirement from the state police. In November, Chief Laufer completed the four-day “Train the Trainer” certification course taught by the Dolan Consulting Group to enable him to present de-escalation techniques training. Over the next three months, he intends to teach the techniques to the entire staff of 29 full-time Coatesville officers and about a dozen part-time officers.

The department has also partnered with the city in numerous initiatives to strengthen relations with residents. In June, Chief Laufer partnered with members of the Coatesville City Council and City Manager James Logan to greet and converse with concerned residents and individuals who participated in a peaceful Black Lives Matter demonstration. This summer, Chief Laufer partnered with Coatesville City Council member Nydea Graves and Logan to kick off “Real Steel Talk,” a forum created to bring together voices of the community to city leaders.

'We pride ourselves on being champions of the community … partnering rather than policing,” said Laufer. “Every officer is expected to be the face of our department. While five officers, three receptionists, and three administrative staff are graduates of Coatesville High School, we want to make sure that every member of the department knows and understands what makes the city and people of Coatesville great.'

Over the last four years, 'Coffee with the Chief' has enabled community members to join Laufer to discuss issues important to them at different business locations throughout the city on the first Wednesday of every month. Although the popular program has been temporarily suspended due to COVID-19, in an effort to maintain engagement, Chester County District Attorney Deb Ryan introduced a pilot program to identify some of the sensitive issues with residents and the police department. In a roundtable format, the district attorney’s office brought together five police department members and five community members with a facilitator to take a deeper dive in identifying prominent subjects for discussion.

'It’s a tall order for officers to be able to recognize the nuances inherent with a diverse community,' said Carmen Green, Coatesville City Council Vice President. 'Officers must have the tools and skill sets to be able to interpret and address a variety of situations. Chief Laufer’s proactive approach assures our residents are being heard and officers are receiving the necessary training. He and the officers have a deep commitment to do the right thing all the time. That builds the trust, cooperation, and strong relationships that we all hope to achieve.'

'As we listen to concerns voiced in cities across the country and in our own neighborhood, we want to assure residents that we are listening,' said Logan. 'We understand the value of training, education, and outreach and recognize that there is room for improvement for our city and police department. Our residents and officers must learn to coexist, and in order to do that, we must lead with mutual respect for one another. We are committed to measure progress and modify programs to sustain our efforts. It is this kind of collaboration that will keep Coatesville at the forefront of change and retain the true meaning of community engagement.”

MORE AT:

VISTA TODAY

Coatesville Police Department Models Longstanding Dedication to Officer Training Excellence, Community Engagement

  

By Mark Hostutler 

Published: 5:25 am EST December 1, 2020 Updated: 11:05 am EST November 30, 2020