Mark Mroz, the community relations officer in the 2nd Police District, provided a crime update at the Lawncrest Community Association meeting.
Mroz spoke of a shooting on the 200 block of Comly St., a gunpoint robbery on the 4200 block of Roosevelt Blvd., stolen car keys on the 6300 block of Oxford Ave., stolen keys and cell phone on the 500 block of Knorr St. and stolen keys and wallet at the Hill Creek housing project.
Mroz mentioned that a resident on the 600 block of Benner St. shot a dog, who survived.
The officer reported that 19 bicycles were raffled off during the recent National Night Out celebration at Fox Chase Elementary School.
Mroz encouraged people to enroll in the Civilian Police Academy, which meets for nine weeks on Wednesdays from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the police academy, 2838 Woodhaven Road. Contact Cpl. Megan Fabrizio at 215-934-4147 or Megan.Fabrizio@phila.gov.
In other news from the Aug. 15 meeting:
• State Rep. Anthony Bellmon spoke of the outreach following July’s shooting death of a 16-year-old boy on the 1200 block of Van Kirk St. Bellmon joined City Councilman Anthony Phillips, the 2nd Police District and city agencies in responding to the block.
Bellmon also visited the World War I monument that was spray painted with a pro-Hamas message after receiving a text message about the incident from local resident Heather Miller. Bellmon said he was happy to see the city clean the vandalism, which took place on a Saturday morning, immediately rather than waiting until Monday.
Bellmon is pleased that the state passed a budget that includes $1.1 billion in increased funding for public education.
The lawmaker, though, is not happy that his bill to record gun sales electronically did not pass. He blamed Republicans, but it was Democratic Rep. Frank Burns who supplied the decisive vote as the bill failed, 101-100.
Still, Bellmon is glad to see the budget increase funding for gun violence intervention and prevention programs.
• The LCA unanimously approved legalization of an office use on the second floor of a property at 6800 Martins Mill Road. The site is home to Behavioral Health Solutions, which is open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Emanuel Wilkerson, chief of staff for Councilman Anthony Phillips, spoke of a new law that allows the city to remove or prune a tree that is in danger of falling onto a home. Recently, the city removed an oak tree on the 900 block of Marcella St. in Summerdale at the request of Phyllis Swing, a resident of the block. The home where the tree stood has been vacant for 15 years.
• The Lawncrest Recreation Center pool closed on Aug. 19. The pool at Max Myers Recreation Center will be open until Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 2.
• Lawncrest Community Association’s next two meetings will be on the third Wednesday of the month, Sept. 18 and Oct. 16, at 6:30 p.m. at St. William’s Monsignor James E. Mortimer Memorial Hall, Argyle and Robbins streets. ••
