Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Crowds Flock to Morrisville's First Town Watch Meeting

Crowds flock to Morrisville's first town watch meeting
 
Posted: Wednesday, October 2, 2013 5:45 am | Updated: 7:14 am, Wed Oct 2, 2013.
Morrisville town watch organizers believe the borough police department is doing a good job; it just needs help from residents.“We need to be the eyes and ears,” Peter Eisengrein, one of the residents involved in the initiation of Morrisville PA Town Watch, said Tuesday night. “Get to know your neighbors.”
More than 200 concerned residents packed the group’s first meeting at the Italian American Club on Harrison Avenue. Council, school board members and police officers were among those in attendance.
Resident Sue Lombardo said both Morrisville’s police department and council need improvement.
“We want our community back,” she said. “We want our neighborhoods to be safe. We want our town to be cleaned up.”
Resident Patrick Healey, 31, said the town watch meetings are definitely heading in the right direction of cleaning up crime and building bridges between residents and the police department.
A group of residents started the town watch because of the general discontent with the police department, especially during recent alleged abduction attempts, which weren’t reported to residents until a week after the fact.
Town Watch organizers, which include police department liaison Officer Erica McIntyre, told residents to keep outside lights on, lock car doors and make address numbers visible. Additionally, they told residents to stay alert for people calling out for help, strangers looking into car windows, and strangers talking to children. They were advised to jot down notes as soon as possible and call in incidents with as much detail as possible, such as description of vehicles or people including shapes, sizes, weight and height.
Residents are encouraged not to take matters into their hands; they should call police to report incidents.
The group’s long-term goal is to obtain funding through grants for more community involvement including the purchase of radios for community members.
In the meantime, no community patrolling will take place.
A few residents said they wanted to see more police officers on the streets.
Borough council has voted to hire three full-time officers, and an additional part-time officer was recently hired, McIntyre said.
The police force has been running without a department head since former Chief Jack Jones left in December. Since then, Lt. Thomas Herron has been the officer in charge.
The police department has eight full-time and five part-time officers protecting the 8,700 residents living in the 2-square-mile borough.
Residents were hoping the police department would communicate better with residents.
McIntyre said that the force has started a Facebook page, which will be updated regularly. Residents should look for “Morrisville Borough Police Department.”
Town watch organizers said the group is not political and they want to keep meetings from turning into fighting matches or finger pointing.
An hour into the meeting, resident Harold Bratcher said he understood the basics of the group, but the reason he was there was to hear about the recent alleged abduction attempts, which weren’t discussed. People cheered him on.
Herron told the crowd that Morrisville police officers are working on the investigation with outside agencies that have more resources. And unfortunately, vehicle descriptions provided by residents weren’t enough to go on.

87 comments:

Anonymous said...

The streets were very dark when the meeting let out. Crime likes darkness. Has the boro ever considered a lighting project to bring better illumination to our streets?

Anonymous said...

A white GMC van with two darkly dressed men attempted a brazen abduction of a girl in Lindenwold, NJ this week. The news report stated, similar instances of attempted abductions have occurred in other local areas recently and the police in Lindenwold are reaching out to these other neighborhoods to assist in their investigation." They have video. I hope someone from here has made that call to Lindenwold.

deb said...

" They have video. I hope someone from here has made that call to Lindenwold"

Poster above can you call the police station with this info and make sure they are aware and ask them to check in with Lindenwold. Lindenwold may not know about us and we may not know this...help them connect

Anonymous said...

http://www.buckscountycouriertimes.com/news/crime/morrisville-police-arrest-man-who-threatened-to-shoot-people/article_db088d2b-1a6f-595b-bb14-9723fd844b92.html

Anonymous said...

Whoa. Not long after the town watch mtg ended.

Anonymous said...

Clearly this man has mental health issues.

Jon said...

LED street lights could save Penndel tax money

Posted: Wednesday, October 2, 2013 12:18 pm | Updated: 7:59 pm, Wed Oct 2, 2013.

By Vic Monaco Correspondent

Taxpayers could save thousands annually if Penndel installed LED street lights.

That was the pitch to the borough council this week from Pinnacle Solutions, a Texas-based vendor of the energy-efficient lighting.

A company representative said the total cost of replacing the borough's 170 lights along with disposal and maintenance would be $132,317.

But he noted the borough would see a savings of $5,567 annually along with an undetermined rebate from PECO. Over the lifetime of the lights, he said, the borough would save more than $63,000, not including the rebates.

According to Pinnacle's website, there are no filaments to burn out in LED lights. As a result, they have a much longer lifespan than regular incandescent bulbs and do not need to be replaced as frequently.

No decision was made by the council at its Monday meeting. Council President Sean Weckerly said the last time the borough looked into such a replacement it was deemed financially unfeasible.

Anonymous said...

While there are those in town who keep spewing that our council is a do nothing group, where were they to support some on council for trying to move the borough forward with the lighting project. I'm getting pretty tired of hearing those who are recently bashing council for every problem in town, both real and imaginary. Recently I even read on facebook that someone is blaming council for the empty school buildings in town. I had to stop reading the posts of this person at that point. All the misguided finger pointing is counterproductive.

It's nice to see Penndel learning from our own proposed lighting project. I'm hopeful that our own council will be able to resent this upgrade/lighting project again in January when there is a sixth reasonable person sitting on the dais.

Anonymous said...

President:
Nancy Sherlock: 215-630-7887

Vice President:
Fred Kerner: 215-295-4222

Victor A. Cicero: 267-394-1545
Eileen Dreisbach: 215-295-1914
Jeffrey Johnson: 267-408-0956
David Rivella: 215-295-5030

Todd Sanford: 215-295-3839
Debbie Smith: 267-799-4040

Anonymous said...

IMHO the true regressive loads are

Dreisbach (ward 1 term up not running again)

Sanford (ward 1 running for reelection unopposed)

Smith (ward 3 term up in 2015).

Anonymous said...

In looking at this, if Bowers wins and we get either Westrope or Pepitone as mayor we are screwed.

Anonymous said...

In the 3rd ward, you have 2 choices.

Go with Bowers if you want someone cut from the same cloth as Dreisbach, Sanford, Smith, Ledger, Hellman, Mihok, Stout, Buckman, Radosti, Westrope.

If you don't, reelect Fred Kerner.

Anonymous said...

Rita and Eileen will be gone in January.

I cannot do anything, either directly or indirectly to empower the Republican guard in Morrisville. It took way too long to get rid of that element in borough hall and I will not vote for anything or anyone that will in any way give them determination to regain any type of power.

Anonymous said...

I just learned that both Vic Cicero and Rita Ledger were at Bill Pepitone's fundraiser last night.

What more do you need to know?!

Anonymous said...

Wow Rita had $25 dollars?

Anonymous said...

Whoa that's not good. It's a free country, you can't kick em out of the place, but that's not good, especially the Ledger part.

Anonymous said...

Especially for Kitty Westrope .... dropped her like a bag of dirt.

Anonymous said...

Kitty had no traction, they had to change their game plan.

Anonymous said...

Sadly, there are people in town who still trust Cicero although I cannot figure out why that is. Haven't learned anything from the decades of having him around.

Anonymous said...

Pepitone, say it ain't so!!!

Anonymous said...

Everyone, stop hating each other. Stop. hating. each. other. STOP.

W.T.F.? said...

Cops: Man causes stir at hospital, Courier Times office



Posted: Thursday, October 3, 2013 1:30 pm | Updated: 8:29 pm, Thu Oct 3, 2013.

By Jo Ciavaglia Staff writer

A Morrisville man faces a disorderly conduct charge after he allegedly chased an employee into the Bucks County Courier Times building, less than two hours after he was cited for causing a disturbance in a hospital ER.

Lower Bucks Hospital emergency room staff called police around 6 a.m. Thursday after a patient, David Penkala Jr., no age, refused to leave the hospital after he was discharged and made a loud scene, Bristol Township police said.

Police responded to the Bath Road hospital and took Penkala into custody and cited him for disorderly conduct and trespassing, both non-traffic citations, Lt. Terry Hughes said. An incident report states that Penkala was transported home, though it doesn’t specify if someone picked him up or if police took him home, Hughes said.

Around 7:45 a.m. a newspaper employee was walking through the company parking lot when Penkala allegedly started following her. The employee began running, and so did Penkala, police said.

The employee entered the building through a door that requires a combination, but she couldn't close it before Penkala entered the building.

The employee said that Penkala did not threaten her, but he appeared under the influence. He followed her until other employees confronted him and called police.

When Tullytown police spoke with Penkala at the newspaper he still had Bristol Township’s citations in hand, Tullytown Chief Danny Doyle said. Penkala didn’t say much to police and his eyes were closed almost the entire time, Doyle said, reading from the incident report.

Tullytown police have no idea how Penkala got to the Courier Times parking lot. He will be cited for disorderly conduct, Doyle said.

Tullytown police took Penkala to his adult son’s home.

Anonymous said...

I don't at all see this as everyone hating each other. I see this as people who have been paying attention long enough to know who the players are, what their tactics are, what they are willing to do to get what they want, and who they are willing to use in the process of getting what they want.

It's not about being haters, it's about knowing enough information from years of watching this stuff play out to be able to see it coming.

Think some of us are suspicious at election time? You're darn right about that because we have seen enough to know how to pay attention and make connections even when people are clever about hiding them.

Many of us haven't shown up for the game late, we were here to watch it from the beginning and we know how to pick a good team.

Anonymous said...

People are looking for a third way. There is a ground swell of dissatisfaction with the 'good team'; it is not always a conspiracy.

Anonymous said...

Believe what you want, some of us know better.

The ground swell is being created by misguided, misinformation in an effort of scaring an uninformed few that the sky is falling.

Morrisville is a wonderful little town regardless of the negativity being spewed by someone and anyone willing to listen to it.

Anonymous said...

I Like grape soda

Anonymous said...

Now I have to tell you the dangers of drinking grape soda and how only I, single-handedly, can make you stop drinking it for your own good.

Nah, I like grape soda too.

Anonymous said...

I support the concept of grape soda but not this grape soda.

Anonymous said...

I never received a single bottle (or can) of grape soda despite repeatedly asking for it for 18 mos.

Anonymous said...

ur..umm..okay?

Anonymous said...

Anyone who lives in the boro is borderline retarded. The Schools suck, the Boro is full of drugs and gangs, and the council is filled with a bunch of people who don't know what the sunshine law is.
I have had enough and that is why my house is for sale.
You are all a bunch of inbred morons who deserve the cess pool you have turned morrisville into.

Anonymous said...

bye bye

Anonymous said...

Has Pepitone said how much our taxes will rise to fund his efforts? He is talking about adding a lot police staff.

Anonymous said...

$1.05

Anonymous said...

Our current police department runs at about a million and a half a year. It's the largest part of the budget.

If an officer stays in Morrisville for three years the salary is $90,000 each. And they get raises every year. He wants six new officers. So that's roughly a half a million extra a year (not including their benefit packages). I'm assuming with more officers we will need to add to the fleet at about $30,000 a car. Then we will need to purchase more radios, etc (equipment for the new cars).

Talk is cheap. Pepitone's big plan will bankrupt us all. This is not NYC.

Anonymous said...

It is now. Seriously, as Mayor, he would have 0 votes. He would have to get 5 or more of 8 council votes for his plan. In that sense, it wouldn't be "his" plan. He would have to work with council to get a majority to support it.

Anonymous said...

Yes, it's true, what he is telling people he will do for them isn't even in the realm of what the mayor can enforce.

If he wanted to be part of the solution, why didn't he become an officer for Morrisville. At least then he would have some municipal background.

Why didn't he apply for the interim chief's job or the permanent chief's job?

Anonymous said...

He should move to the first ward and run for council.

Anonymous said...

This is what he chose to do. I give him props for sticking his neck out. Win or lose, I wish him luck, and hope he stays active.

Anonymous said...

We need a Mayor who is in sync with Council. Otherwise we just end up with the same bull - a group who fights and gets nothing done.
We need to know where he stands on all issues, and what his vision for Morrisville is. How will achieve these things? The police situation is not our only problem.

And saying I want more cops is easy. Tell us how much it will cost and how we will pay for it. As the post above shows, it would be a considerable amount.

Are people willing to raise taxes for this? How much of an increase would you accept? I'm curious.

Anonymous said...

Pepitone was so disinterested that he didn't even make himself part of the electoral process. I don't need someone in the mayor's seat or in any seat who didn't get his way so decided to run for mayor.

Everyone who runs for anything in town sticks their necks out. It is laughable to try to give him kudos for doing the very thing people he is constantly attacking have been doing for years.

"This is what he chose to do. I give him props for sticking his neck out. Win or lose, I wish him luck, and hope he stays active."

There in lies part of the problem. HE HASN'T BEEN ACTIVE! He has lived here and not contributed AT ALL to helping the town's situation. He could have but didn't. I don't need to see him at every event that happens in the two months prior to election time. I needed to see him working for the town prior to election time.

The only thing he actually signed up for in town was the borough committee which he quit after a couple of months. That speaks volumes.

He chose to be part of the problem instead of part of the solution and now he wants my vote.

Anonymous said...

"He chose to be part of the problem instead of part of the solution and now he wants my vote."

Anonymous said...

I don't see why people on this site are criticizing Pepitone for wanting to fix the police and run crime out of here. Without safe streets everything will collapse. Our property values will tank, our schools will fail, and our kids won't be able to play in front of their own homes. Gang members are taking over my hometown and you defend a councilman who only talks about the flea markets, parades and zucchini races he helped organize? Yes, the Trenton gangs are shaking in fear at the thought of Rivella becoming Mayor. Wake up people! We are sinking! My homes not worth near what I paid for it 10 years ago. And yes, I'd pay more taxes for more police if it will keep me and my family safe. Hell,this borough just voted to raise school taxes and our district is a mess!

Anonymous said...

"...you defend a councilman who only talks about the flea markets, parades and zucchini races he helped organize? Yes, the Trenton gangs are shaking in fear at the thought of Rivella becoming Mayor."

That's funny, and so true!

Anonymous said...

I fully realize that the same person wrote both of the posts directly above.

um...Rivella didn't organize any of those things you have talked about. Know your information.

It's interesting that you are criticizing him for supporting his community, something that your candidate has not done.

If your point is that Pepitone is the only choice, you are mistaken. I think the point having been proven on this blog several times is that some in town have proven themselves and some have not.

Anonymous said...

Rivella's nothing more than a community organizer just like our President. Doesn't make him a leader.

Anonymous said...

"community organizer"?
I'm interested, please explain.

Anonymous said...

As someone who has worked with Dave Rivella on various project throughout the borough over the years, I have to say to the poster this morning, you are doing a disservice to your own candidate by stooping to a level of talking nonsense about Rivella.

Anonymous said...

For Mayor, if it can be arranged, I'd prefer a Hollywood actor or the wealthy son of a former Mayor.

Anonymous said...

LOL - well done.

Anonymous said...

Pepitone is not 'my candidate' as you put it. In fact I am torn between him and Ms. Westrope, for the simple fact that I will never vote for someone who has sat on our council and done nothing while my home is overrun with drugs,gangs and sex offenders trying to rip kids out of their own backyard. My car was broken into twice by crackheads. My wife gets accosted every time she tries to walk into the Garden Market by an overly aggressive homeless drug addict.My son has been threatened by kids who want to be gangbangers and thugs. Was 'your candidate' not part of the council that did nothing while our police department fell apart, or is Mr.Davese a liar too? What has Rivella done, besides push for a lighting project for his union cronies? Rivella had his chance, and he failed us.

Anonymous said...

The borough did NOT raise school taxes. This is impossible.

You obviously don't pay attention or you would know the answers to your questions. You would have to be involved for that, which, by reading your post, you have not been. But you aren't looking for answers, you are spewing about someone you obviously have no knowledge about. But such is your game since by your own words you have no intention of voting for him anyway even if you did educate yourself. You obviously have no municipal knowledge either, because if you did you would know the role of council and the role of the mayor. (not what you're told, not what's convenient, the actual roles)You would know what council is and is not capable/permitted to do with regards to the police department. Since you have no knowledge of the role of the mayor, the borough would be sued if council made any move toward the police department. Rivella is one of eight votes. Rivella did not pick the contractors for the borough upgrades, none of council did. Even watching one, simple council meeting would have told you that. You would also know that the same non-union, local Morrisville contractor is used to care for the borough's streetlights,as they have for years. Your points don't stand up at all.

Yes...yes...I know...the sky is falling. My family lives here as well. I've just lived here long enough to know not to believe everything I hear when the facts say otherwise.

I mean no disrespect in saying that it sometimes may be difficult to educate yourself about the things you wish to speak about, but blindly following someone who makes his case sound good, even when it's misguided and imaginary, is never better than having the actual facts.

Anonymous said...

Pepitone looks likke a one trick pony, only able to say that he is Dirty Harry and you will submit to make our children safe. I would really like someone who has more of an agenda than that.

Kitty is part of the negative old guard. Electing her is giving Rita another term.

Rivella does boost Morrisville at every chance he gets. He's not a union crony so please stop that tired old BS. He's been consistent trying to move things forward. I am disappointed in whatever role council played in not stopping the police problems before they got this far.

Anonymous said...

This is not helping Pepitone. The anger is misplaced. Shame because I want an alternative to the other choices.

Anonymous said...

I'm concerned about crime, but alarmism and hysteria usually don't lead to solid decisionmaking. Come up with a credible plan, get input from people experienced in the subject matter, cost it out, adjust as necessary, sell to to the public and the people who have to vote on it, and execute it.

Anonymous said...

...without using misguided blame and insulting everyone in the path, especially the very people who will have to help make any plan come true.

Anonymous said...

Amen to that

Anonymous said...

Did you ever stop to think Pepitone's a conspiracy????
Rivella steps aside, throws his support to Pepitone who becomes mayor, Rivella keeps his council seat.

Anonymous said...

What are you talking about? This new strategy will never work, it really isn't even worth your time.

People know Dave. They know that he will step aside from anyone in his own party who is not on the up and up. They know that he would never secretly conspire with this Republican as a campaign strategy. That's kind of laughable. Only a Republican would say something like this.

You would have to know nothing about Dave Rivella to buy into that.

He wouldn't be "keeping" his council seat because it would only be gone to him if he won. Rivella has two more years on council if he doesn't get the mayor's gig, which I assume he will.

Pepitone is a conspiracy, but it's not with Rivella.

Nice try though.

Anonymous said...

"Rivella steps aside, throws his support to Pepitone who becomes mayor, Rivella keeps his council seat."

What were you drinking when you wrote that.

Anonymous said...

Myhok's hot tub water?

Anonymous said...

While Rivella has been helping Morrisville everywhere he can, Pepitone has been sitting back and thinks it's a good campaign strategy to attack Rivella and lie about council. He clearly has a huge head and a savior complex.

Kitty and Pepitone are weak candidates. I can see where someone working with/for one of them would come up with idiotic suggestions here and there, (like the one above), to try to confuse an uniformed public.

The trouble with doing that on here is that for the most part the people who read/contribute to this blog are pretty well informed so these type of tactics don't work here.

Anonymous said...

"Myhok's hot tub water?"

Oh man, not enough mouthwash in Morrisville. Thanks, I can't un-think about that one...and right before bed too!

Anonymous said...

Mr. Pepitone knocked on my door the other day and spoke to me and my husband for a half hour. I had my doubts about his campaign based on this page but the guy makes sense and looks the part. At least he's out there acting like he wants the job. Can't say that about the other two. He won our vote that day.

Anonymous said...

How would you know if they are knocking doors or not? Strange thing to say.

Anonymous said...

Sounds like he already had your vote.

Anonymous said...

Knocking on my door to tell me what you will do, does nothing for me. It's election talk. Could have been a part of the solutions long before now, but chose not to. I don't want to hear from any of the candidates at election time because I should already know what they're all about long before then.

Anonymous said...

I know the other two haven't knocked on our door. That's what I was saying.They very well may be out there, we just haven't seen them and neither have most of the people we speak to. That's all. Anyone know if they are out there?

Anonymous said...

And no, he did not have our vote until we met him and heard him out.

Anonymous said...

Yes, Mr. Rivella has been through my neighborhood. I spoke with him a few weeks ago.

Anonymous said...

I don't need someone who has only been working in Morrisville for two months to knock on my door for my vote. Especially when the two month's worth of work has only been to try to get himself elected.

sick of his bs already said...

Pepitone is a one trick pony and a fool he wants your vote for an office of goverment he doen't even understand. He has no real clue what true powers the office of mayor has over the police its just oversite folks thats it the chief runs the department, the the last one ran before the shit it the fan and is now sucking the tit of the school district because he has friends in the 21 century program.
the council only appoves the budget for the police thats it!!!!
They have no control ovrt the police period. It's time all you big city transplants learn that not every place has the same form of local goverment and not every office of you local goverment has the same powers of what ever big city you move here from.
Mr.Pepitone learn what the hell your talking about before you open your mouth.
ps 20 years in nypd without much advancement doesn't make you an expert on fighting crime just means you followed orders.

Anonymous said...

Pepitone didn't volunteer for the NYPD, it was his job. As a NYPD officer he didn't advance in rank in 20 years. That's a huge red flag. I know officers who have only been with their departments for a couple of years and have already advanced. I heard he retired early which leads me to believe there was a reason why. He only decided to go for the mayor's seat when he didn't get the interim chief's job here. I've heard people who think he would be better suited for the chief's job. He doesn't meet the qualifications for the chief's job because of he has no rank as an officer.

Above, you are correct, council has no control over the police dept other than passing their annual budget.

Pepitone has been "gunning" for council throughout his campaign in an effort of attacking Rivella for everything pertaining to the police dept, yet he says nothing about the mayor or the chief. Either he has no idea what he's doing, or he knows and is tricking those who will vote for him into doing so.

Anonymous said...

My hope is that Bill Pepitone wins. It is however unlikely but with Dave Rivella we are doomed to be left to the Gangs.

Isn’t that who killed his son?

As we all know Bill is a retired NYPD officer. If he can not hire new officers at least he should be capable of repairing the damage done to the Morrisville Department by our current council, former chief Victor Cicero, and the current Mayor Rita Ledger.
All parties are completely culpable and have no excuses. Rivella and Cicero are allies and have been in the majority for 4 years. No excuses on their part. Rita Ledger is useless and dresses like she just rolled out of bed.
Bill Pepitone hopefully will bring a level of professionalism to the office unlike Rivella or Westrope will.

Anonymous said...

There are so many inaccuracies in the post above. I cannot believe what you have talked about above. And your information is not even correct while you have so disgustingly tried to prove some point. Shame on you for your post. Shame on you.

Anonymous said...

No that isn't who killed their son.....YOU ASS!

Anonymous said...

Rivella stepped away from Cicero about two years ago. Where have you been.

Council does not control the police department, educate yourself before you bash someone.

Considering what Rivella has been through I have no doubt he will do what is needed with regard to the police department. As for the other thing said,if this is the mentality of those who support Pepitone, I have made the right decision of not buying into his fear based nonsense.

Anonymous said...

The Republican's anti-Rivella movement is horrible. They will say and do anything to win. They continually stoop to new lows, now openly disrespecting the memory and tragic loss of the Rivella's son. If you need to lie to help Pepitone, he clearly isn't worth anyone's vote.

Mike Honcho said...

Two things will scare the gangs out of Morrisville, Dave Rivella's Porno Beard and zuccini races.

Anonymous said...

You are a child.

Anonymous said...

http://www.buckscountycouriertimes.com/news/local/bristol-councilman-suggests-hiring-police-consultant/article_758b3b0b-e3fa-5c98-af85-3d1c4970c4c7.html

Anonymous said...

It is unbelievable what I just read. How can some one be so cruel to bring up the death of someones son to prove some kind of a political point.
So tired of the childish people in this town.
It amazes me that to some people, nothing is sacred.
I can only hope that karma comes around.

Kevin L said...

Until you have actually stood over the grave of one of your children, I'm very certain that you really don't have a clue what you're taking about.

Jon said...

Unimaginable grief. So very sorry for your losses.

Nothing more should need to be said. Leave the children, spouses, families, relatives out of it. You got a beef with a particular individual or individuals, fine, stick to them, and stick to facts.

Anonymous said...

I can't believe what I just read. What a horrible person the nasty poster above is. I don't have the words to comment, I just feel sick.
Jon, I would hope he has been banned from this great open forum. There is a line though, for civil dialog, and I think he crossed it.

Mike Honcho said...

It was horrible to see that David Janet Rivella was blaming Police Officers for his sons death in his book.
Seriously, it was a stand off and his son was directly under the mans window? should the Police have risked the EMTs lives so there could be more victims?

When did becoming a crime victim make you an expert in crime prevention?

Anonymous said...

Although I did not receive Dave's literature over this past weekend I did read your paraphrasing of what it said. I did not read that is said he was blaming anyone. Your crude choice of wording here is counterproductive to what you are trying to achieve.