With all the crime news lately, it does bring to mind the folks who are working on our side.  The West Frankford Town Watch is looking for new members.  I got this email this afternoon:

  HELLO

  LET US INTRODUCE OURSELVES

 

*** WHO ARE WE?

WE ARE THE WEST FRANKFORD TOWNWATCH. WE HAVE SERVED THE WEST FRANKFORD COMMUNITY FOR 5 YEARS.  WE ARE LOOKING FOR NEW MEMBERS. WE PATROL  EVERY FRIDAY AND SOME SATURDAY NIGHTS. WE COVER ALL OF UPPER FRANKFORD, NORTH WOOD, MAYFAIR, AND PARTS OF WISSINOMING.

 

*** WHAT DO WE DO?

WE ARE THE EYES AND EARS OF THE POLICE. WE PATROL THE COMMUNITY BY CAR, FOOT AND ON BIKE. WE LOOK FOR POSSIBLE TROUBLE SPOTS, CHECK FOR BROKEN TRAFFIC LIGHTS, AND REPORT UNSAFE AND DANGEROUS NEIGHBORHOOD SITUATIONS. IN ADDITION, REPORT ABANDONED AUTOS. IN ADDITION, RESPOND TO CALLS ALONG WITH THE POLICE THAT COME OVER THE POLICE SCANNER. BASICALLY, WE TRY TO MAINTAIN THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN OUR COMMUITY.

  

WHAT ARE SOME OF OUR OTHER ACTIVITIES?

WE WORK AS SECURITY AND TRAFFIC CONTROL AT MANY OF OUR COMMUNITY EVENTS, FIRES AND AUTO ACCIDENTS. WE ALSO PATROL AROUND THE LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL AND GRADE SCHOOL’S DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR WHILE SCHOOL IS IN LOOKING FOR GROUPS OF STUDENT’S THAT ARE EITHER CUTTING OR DON’T BELONG THERE.

 

WHAT ELSE HAPPENS?

WE HAVE A LUNCHEON ONCE A YEAR FOR THE OFFICERS THAT WE PATROL WITH TO SHOW THEM YOUR THANKS FOR KEEPING OUR COMMUNITY SAFE.

WE ALSO WORK WITH OTHER COMMUNITY GROUPS TO TRY AND ADDRESS THEIR TROUBLE SPOTS WITHIN THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES.

 

                                    **** WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP? ***

 WE NEED YOUR DONATIONS TO HELP KEEP OUR TOWNWATCH GROWING AND ACTIVE. ANYTHING YOU CAN GIVE IS GREATLY APPRECIATED.

REMEMBER, WE ARE ALL VOLUNTEERS AND ALL DONATIONS ARE USED ONLY FOR THE TOWNWATCH OFFICIAL ACTIVITIES

 

 

REMEMBER ONLY YOU CAN MAKE THE DIFFERENCE

WEST FRANKFORD TOWNWATCH

NEIGHBORS HELP NEIGHBORS

WEST FRANKFORD TOWNWATCH

2117 BRIDGE STREET

PHILA.PA .19124

CONTACT EITHER          

MIKE @215-284-6823 OR LORIE P@215-284-5863

If you can spare the time, this is a way to make a difference for the community.

I haven’t addressed this issue before today because the media has managed to give this enough publicity.  I have been looking at crime statistics in detail since the PPD has been kind enough to put this information out on the web on a timely basis. 

What started my interest was that the crime log published in the Northeast Times does not include rape or murder.  Well, we all hear about the murders.  “If it bleeds, it leads” is a real policy on our local news.  On the other hand if you happen to meet a rapist on the street one morning, it may very well go unreported in the media.  I really can’t tell you why that is. 

The PPD slices and dices the crime stats and has a system of classification that pretty well tells the story.  Rape is subdivided into several goups.  First it can be rape or attempted rape.  Then it can be domestic.  No I don’t know what that means.  Then it can be done by an acquaintance or a stranger.  They are all pretty bad but the rape by a stranger seems to be the mose henious.  That is the type or crime now being reported.  So far this year, there have been 25 rapes or attempts committed by strangers in the 15th District.

The serial rapist accounts for 8 of those.  It seems that to get any attention as a rapist, you have to go into high gear.  There was no outcry over the other 16 rapes so far this year.  Whoe committed them, were they caught, did they go to trial, where are they now?

There other thing that bothers me is, while we now can get some pretty good information on crime, we get squat on arrests and less on convictions.  We got a part of the picture of the problem but nothing on the solution end.

Crime is fairly simple.  It has always existed and always will.  The issue is where and what will be tolerated.  How will we arrest and deal with the criminals.  How long will we let this continue in Frankford before we have to take action.  What are our elected officials doing to address the issues.  They are very busy trying to make believe that it does not involve them at all. 

This is a map of the locations and some details of the events.

This is one of those houses that is so easy to just not notice.  You do not see many houses where the shutters look like they actually have been with the house since it was built.  Does anybody know where this house is?  Leave a comment with your guess.

• Rep. Payton Community Day Picnic
  When-Sat, Aug 16, 10am – 7pm

  Where-Gambrel Playground (Ditman and Wakeling streets) (map)

  Description-Residents of Frankford, Hunting Park, Feltonville, Olney and Oxford Circle are invited to join Rep. Payton and Councilwoman Maria Quinones Sanchez for their first ever – Community Day Celebration. Meet with Rep. Payton and celebrate the spirit of community. Food and beverages will be provided. Entertainment will include disc jockeys spinning hip hop, R&B, salsa and reggae music. There will also be live musical performances. Representatives from local and state agencies will be available to provide information about a variety of social services. Please join us for a day of food, music, friends and fun!
• Sign-ups for Deni Playground’s 3V3 basketball league

  When-Tue, Aug 19, 6:30pm – 8:00pm

  Where-Deni Playground’s Clubhouse (map)

  Description-Sign-ups for Deni Playground’s 3V3 basketball league will be on Tuesday, July 22nd and Tuesday, August 19th, from 6:30 – 8pm at Deni Playground’s Clubhouse which is located next to the baseball diamond. Deni Playground is located at Church and Leiper Streets. The registration fee is $10. The league will run from Saturday, September 6th till Saturday, October 18th. All games will be played at Deni Playground on Saturday mornings. The 3V3 basketball league is for 9-14 year olds.

We have posted the most recent addtion to the crime map for 7/21 to 8/3/22008.  You can find it here.