Inspector Frank Bachmayer, commander of the Northeast Police Division, held a town hall as part of the recent Take Back Your Neighborhood meeting.
Bachmayer was joined by Capt. Scott DiDonato, commander of the 2nd Police District; Mark Mroz, community relations officer in the 2nd district; and Rockledge Police Chief John Gallagher.
Bachmayer praised DiDonato’s work and described Mroz as the best community relations officer in the city.
Police are “challenged,” Bachmayer said, due to the city being down 1,000 cops.
“That’s no secret,” he said.
Still, he said crime in the 2nd district is down from a year ago while car stops, tickets issued and pedestrian investigations are up.
Bachmayer spoke of a city retail theft program that includes police, businesses and an assistant district attorney. In response to thefts from the Wawa at 6400 Bustleton Ave., several students at Spruance Elementary School have been banned from the store.
There is also an aggressive driver police detail on Castor Avenue, and police are working to identify locations of so-called “car meets.”
As school is about to begin, 2nd district police will continue to meet with principals and be stationed outside some of the schools at dismissal.
As for quality-of-life issues, Mroz said progress is being made on shutting down illegal car washes and towing illegally parked tractor trailers.
In response to questions and comments, Bachmayer said police are not assigned to election polling locations.
There were complaints of people parking on sidewalks during youth sporting events and dumping trash on the Hellerman Street side of Spruance.
Principals have been alerted to parents double parking outside schools such as J. Hampton Moore and Solis-Cohen before and after school. Bachmayer and Mroz blamed the parents, with the inspector saying some parents believe they are “entitled” to double park. Bachmayer said signs discouraging double parking will not work.
“You can put signs out till the cows come home,” he said.
A man from Palmyra, New Jersey attended the meeting and complained that noise from the Pennsylvania side of the Delaware River travels across the water and into his state.
In other news from the Aug. 19 meeting:
• Max Myers Recreation Center, 1601 Hellerman St., will distribute school supplies, water ice and pretzels on Aug. 31, from noon to 4 p.m.
• State Sen. Jimmy Dillon will hold a telephone town hall on Wednesday, Sept. 4, at 6 p.m. to discuss the November general election. The guest will be city elections commissioner Lisa Deeley. To sign up or submit questions, visit SenatorDillon.com/TTH.
Dillon will team with City Councilman Jim Harrity for a paper-shredding event on Saturday, Sept. 14, from 9 a.m. to noon, at Archbishop Ryan High School, 11201 Academy Road. E-cycling will also be available for the disposal of computers, cell phones and televisions. Call 215-695-1020.
• The Civilian Police Academy meets for nine weeks on Wednesdays from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the police academy, 2838 Woodhaven Road. To enroll or for more information, contact Cpl. Megan Fabrizio at 215-934-4147 or Megan.Fabrizio@phila.gov.
• Among those in attendance were Sen. Jimmy Dillon, his opponent Joe Picozzi and legislative candidate Sean Dougherty.
• Take Back Your Neighborhood will meet on Monday, Sept. 16, at 6:30 p.m. at Max Myers Recreation Center. There will be a guest from the city Department of Licenses and Inspections. ••
