Cops are cool with the cold.
When the temps go down, so do the stats on some crimes, Capt. Frank Bachmayer said last week.
“We always like to see cold weather and snow,” the 15th Police District’s commander said.
As 2011 ended and 2012 began, there were 41 robberies all over the 15th, the city’s largest police district. The weather cooled over the next few weeks, and the number of robberies went down to 28, the captain said.
The recent unseasonably warm weather, however, has robbed police of that yearly drop in the crime rate, Bachmayer told members of the 15th Police District Advisory Council during their Jan. 30 meeting at St. Joachim’s R.C. Church at Church and Griscom streets.
Cops have been making robbery arrests, and Officer James Putro was honored as Officer of the Month for making some of those busts.
There have been two homicides recently, Bachmayer said. One was at Torresdale Avenue and Bridge Street; another was on the 4800 block of Longshore.
The captain said a Frankford man was on his front step to have a smoke and was robbed and then wounded by a gunshot within a few minutes.
Rev. Glenn Shepherd, pastor of Campbell African Methodist Episcopal Church, asked where are all the guns were coming from. Bachmayer said they are stolen or illegally purchased. They’re stashed all over the place, he said.
“We find guns hidden on porches,” he added.
Mike Thaete, PDAC president, said he hoped the organization could soon sponsor another gun-buyback program. Residents are encouraged to turn over guns with no questions asked, he said. Past programs have been very successful and one such buyback netted 42 weapons, he added.
To increase police visibility, Bachmayer said, a foot patrol has been assigned to the area around Frankford Avenue and Foulkrod Street.
Burglary remains a nagging problem in the 15th — as it is all over the city.
Bachmayer said police are trying to inform residents what they can do to prevent burglaries and have made information available at local supermarkets.
Members welcomed representatives of two new Town Watch groups — Mayfair and Wissinoming. Police advisory council members must be representatives of other civic organizations, churches, schools or local businesses.
Each police district is divided into Police Service Areas. The 15th has three and a lieutenant is in charge of each. Lt. Derrick Wood recently was assigned to PSA1, which covers the southernmost part of the district, including Frankford. Lt. Mark Overwise recently came to PSA2, which is in the district’s center.
Getting the public to give police tips on ongoing crimes could be accomplished by asking local stores to accommodate “No questions asked” boxes into which those anonymous tips could be dropped, Wissinoming Town Watch president Richard Young suggested.
The PDAC will move its meetings around during 2012. Although members met at St. Joachim’s on Jan. 30, their next session will be back at their regular gathering place, the John M. Perzel Community Center on St. Vincent Street. The meeting begins at 7 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 27. ••
