A little public awareness can go a long way in the crime-fighting business. That’s the message Philadelphia Police Capt. Mike Gormley delivered to members of the Fox Chase Homeowners Association and Town Watch last Wednesday night.
Speaking at the monthly joint meeting of the two community organizations, Gormley said that burglaries declined by 37 percent in the 7th Police District over a recent 28-day period as compared to the preceding period. The reduction was even more pronounced in a portion of the district that includes Fox Chase. In that area, burglaries dropped from 13 to 6 in Police Service Area 3, a geographical zone comprising essentially the southern third of the 7th district.
The reduction in crime followed Gormley’s efforts to remind residents to keep their homes locked, including doors and windows, particularly when not at home. He delivered that message at the Fox Chase community meeting in September.
The way Gormley figures it, residents have been following that advice with positive results. Another possibility is that the person who was committing most of those burglaries was forced to stop his crime spree. Maybe he got locked up in another jurisdiction.
At any rate, other crimes have declined in the 7th district recently, too. Robberies dropped 50 percent in the latest 28-day report, Gormley said.
In an unrelated crime issue, Gormley reported that a recent report that a man tried to abduct a 9-year-old girl from a Fox Chase street was found to be false. The girl was mistaken when she ran home and told a parent that a man tried to grab her on Elberon Avenue on Sept. 8 as she was walking home from school.
The 7th district and the police department’s Special Victims Unit each issued public alerts before determining that the confrontation did not happen as originally thought.
Nonetheless, the nearby Fox Chase Elementary School has begun a Safe Haven program to protect children from any potential harm on the way to and from school. According to Principal Rob Caroselli, local businesses will partner with the school by offering secure places for children to flee potential attackers.
The school will issue special stickers that participating businesses will display in their windows. Students will be instructed to seek the Safe Haven sticker if they feel unsafe on the way to or from school. Businesses will be given a protocol to contact the child’s parent or guardian and authorities.
Caroselli gave additional updates on Fox Chase Elementary during the community meeting. For the second year in a row, the school has filled all available seats in its three kindergarten classes, 90 seats in all, with students from the immediate community.
In the past, the school would take in students from outside its normal catchment area to fill classes. Caroselli attributes this growing interest among local families to the school’s new hands-on learning initiatives. It has partnered with Fox Chase Farm on agriculture-related programs. The school is reaping the benefits of several successful grant applications, too.
City Councilman Dennis O’Brien was another guest speaker during the meeting. He asked residents to support his campaign for reelection as an at-large Council member. O’Brien is a Republican who served 30 years in the state House of Representatives, including a tenure as House speaker. He left the House and won a Council seat four years ago.
In Harrisburg and City Hall, he has advocated for people diagnosed with conditions such as autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. He wants changes in the educational system to better accommodate students who learn differently. He also wants more funding to improve police and fire department infrastructure.
His colleague, Councilman Brian O’Neill of the 10th district, invited residents to two events. On Oct. 24, his office will distribute free recycling containers at his Fox Chase office, 432 Rhawn St., from 9 a.m. to noon.
On Oct. 21, the city’s firefighters union, neighborhood sports clubs and recreation officials will help dedicate new lights on the Firefighter Daniel Sweeney Memorial Field at Fox Chase Recreation Center. There will be a softball game involving firefighters, Sweeney’s family and friends and the community. ••
