“TOPs”  -  TOWNWATCH on Patrol

Welcome to “TOPs”, Pennsbury Townwatch’s member newsletter.  Pennsbury Township is located in Chester County, PA and is predominately a rural community in SE Pennsylvania. Townwatch can be reached at 610-388-0785.

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President’s  Corner

Summer has arrived. It is a great time of year to be outside enjoying the weather. As you enjoy being outside walking the dog, doing your yard work, or tending your garden, please remember these few simple safety tips.

Keep your doors and windows locked at all times even if you are at home.  You could be outside in your backyard working in your garden and not realize that someone has entered your house through the front door.  Some criminals specialize in stealing from homes when people are outside doing yard work.  Carry a key with you while you work in the garden.  It takes almost no time for a thief to come and go with your property. An unlocked door or window is an invitation to a thief.  Most burglaries occur through unlocked doors and windows.

All residents should take certain precautions when there is a stranger at the door.  Never step outside of your house with someone you don’t know.  Never allow a stranger to come into your house, even if it appears to be a person in trouble or someone claiming to be a friend of a neighbor.  Be suspicious of utility workers who arrive unannounced.  Utilities call ahead before they send over workers or technicians.

This is the time of year when "deception burglars" appear.  Deception burglars generally work in pairs. One member approaches the victim, pretending to be someone trustworthy: perhaps a contractor looking for work, or a utility worker who needs to test a system.  The criminal may also pose as a friend of a relative or a neighbor.  While that criminal distracts the victim, another moves through the house seeking out valuables.  Often the victim doesn't even know he or she has been victimized for hours or days.  The elderly are often the targets of such criminals, since the elderly tend to be trusting, concerned about their property and their neighborhood.

Being a good neighbor can be one of the best crime prevention tools.  Take the time to reacquaint yourself with your long-time neighbors and meet the new ones.  Let your neighbors know that they can call you for advice when a stranger is at their door.  Let your neighbors know when a suspicious person has been spotted in your area. Neighbors working together for each other's well being are the foundation of a safe, happy community.

Wishing you a safe, enjoyable summer.

Kevin D Meloney, President

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Reminder -- Renew Your Membership

Once a year we ask for your support through your membership renewal. For a mere $7.50 for an individual membership, or $10 for a family or business, you can help Townwatch to continue its program of providing patrols and other activities to maintain your safety, security and peace-of-mind. Funds are used for road signs, patrol signs, window stickers, TOPs Newsletter, Outreach activities and other related items. Use the form at the end of this issue of TOPs. Make your check payable to Pennsbury Townwatch and mail it to: Pennsbury Townwatch Inc., 702 West Baltimore Pike, Chaddsford, PA 19317.   Note that all donations are tax-deductible.

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Popular “55 Alive” Safe Driving Program Returns November 13th

Due to the popularity of the “55-Alive” Class given in the past, Pennsbury Townwatch has decided to bring the course back to again this fall. Produced by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) and conducted throughout the country in two half-day sessions, 55 Alive teaches preventive measures to use when driving that saves lives. Eight hours of classroom instruction that refines existing skills and develops safe, defensive driving techniques. The course is spread over two four-hour sessions on consecutive Saturday mornings. The class, subsidized by Townwatch, is priced at $10 per individual and is limited to the first 20 people.  The two half-day sessions will be held on November 13 and November 20 from 8 a.m. to noon at the Pennsbury Township Building on 702 Baltimore Pike (U.S. Highway 1), Chadds Ford, PA 19317. You must attend both sessions to receive certification. Light refreshments will be served. Certificates are good for three years. PA law requires insurance companies to give a 5% discount for drivers 55 and older who successfully complete the course. To sign up, fill in the form on page 4 of this Newsletter and send a $10 check made out to “Pennsbury Townwatch-55 Alive” to: Pennsbury Townwatch, 702 Baltimore Pike, Chadds Ford, PA 19317. Alternatively, call the Township Building at 610-388-7323 to reserve your spot.  In the last several years, over 80 residents have been educated by our “55 Alive” classes.      

A Message for Patrollers

I have the e-mail addresses of a number of patrollers and I have been trying to schedule patrols via e-mail. E-mail offers a lot more flexibility over making phone calls to schedule patrols.

I am using the following e-mail address:

PennsburyTownwatchPatrol@gmail.com

Please keep a lookout for an e-mail asking you for your preference for patrol dates. And to make sure I have correct contact information, please feel free to send me your e-mail address. There has been an average of two patrols per week. During the summer season, I expect to have two patrols per week with an effort to have additional patrols on holiday weekends and a separate patrol for National Night Out on August 3, 2010.

Kevin D Meloney

Patrol Chairman

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                                                                          Safety and Security in Pennsbury Township

There have been times in the past year when alerts have been disseminated about events and incidents within our Township and School District.  These have included information about door-to-door magazine salespersons, suspicious individuals/vehicles and residential burglaries.  One concern is receiving information in a timely manner and steps are being put in place to ensure this occurs.  However, our biggest concern is getting the information out to the Township residents and Members of Townwatch.  One way you can facilitate this transfer of information is to go to the Pennsbury Township web site:

 http://www.pennsbury.pa.us/

and subscribe to email notifications.  Be aware of the events, news and alerts in your community.

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                                                                              Pennsbury Township Police Reports

At occasional monthly meetings of the Pennsbury Townwatch Board of Directors, the Safety and Security Committee Chairman reviews publicly available listings of police activities in the Township. Although the State Police suspended providing this Information for a while, we are happy to report that information is again forthcoming. Such information is useful to plan our patrolling efforts to those areas where incidents have occurred.

For example for February 2010, the top types of police activity in the Township were: motorist assistance (10), false alarms (10) (a continuing headache for the State Police), automobile collisions (7), officer assistance (6), and 911 hangups (3) (all of which must be investigated).                    

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The OutReach “Welcome Packet” Program Extends The Contributions of Townwatch to Community

The main activity of Pennsbury Townwatch is to patrol the streets and roads of our Community to help to ensure the safety and security of the residents. However, we sponsor other activities that fit this charter through the Outreach program. For example, one activity is to provide Welcome Packets to new residents. Administered by Board Member Sandy Desirey, the Welcome Packet program provides an overview publication about the township that includes a map and information guide. The mailings also include recent newsletters from the Township and Townwatch. We also include information on the Land Trust and Township Park offerings. Emergency information includes a letter from the Longwood Fire Department and Pennsbury Emergency Management as well as the Chester County 911 Program. We also include some brochures of interest such as Longwood Gardens, Chadds Ford Winery and Pennsbury Inn. We hope this Outreach endeavor helps new residents with helpful and needed information and makes them feel like they are part of the Pennsbury Township Community. Since the last TOPs Newsletter, there have been less than ten new residents in Pennsbury Township, undoubtedly indicative of the current economic situation and housing market.

Scholarship Awarded to Unionville

High School graduate

To encourage the study of law enforcement and community safety and service, Pennsbury Townwatch is pleased to announce the continuation of a scholarship entitled the Pennsbury Townwatch Scholarship for Law Enforcement Study to a deserving Unionville High School graduate who is pursuing a career in law enforcement, forensic science or criminology. The scholarship consists of a one-time $1000 award to a student enrolled in such a training program. In May, a Unionville High School Scholarship Committee selects the student from a list of those meeting the selection criteria established by Townwatch. The 2010 recipient was John Colven, Jr. of  Kennett Square, PA. He will be attending Bloomsburg Univ. of PA and will pursue a degree in Criminal Justice with a long-term goal of becoming a State Police Officer. Congratulations to John and our best wishes for success in continuing his education.

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                                                                                     Townwatch Holds Annual Meeting

Our Annual Meeting was held on April 7, 2010 at the Chadds Ford Winery, hosted by Eric Miller, owner and wine master. The speaker for the meeting was Mr. Harry Roosevelt, the Executive Director of the Delaware Safety Council. His topic was “Road Rage…Violence on the Highway”. With crowded highways, construction delays, impatient and impolite drivers and daily stress have led to a sharp increase in the incidents of road range on our Nation’s roadways. Mr. Roosevelt discussed some of the techniques to help avoid becoming a victim of road rage. Basically, one should not confront aggressive drivers. If confronted by an aggressive driver, one should pull over at a safe place and let this type of driver pass. It is not worth jeopardizing your safety, your automobile and perhaps your life by challenging a driver intent on intimidation or reckless driving.

                Home Safety Ideas for Summer Vacations

Most burglars prefer to break into your home when no one is home and with recent burglaries in Pennsbury Township during midday (10 AM-2PM) often when people are at work. Therefore anything you can do to make your house appear occupied will discourage burglars from picking your home as their target. Fortunately, it is relatively simple to make your house appear occupied.

Don't leave obvious clues that you are gone. Don't leave notes on the door advertising that you are gone or will be returning on a specific date and time. Make sure that someone picks up the newspapers or other deliveries. It is best not to cancel any mail or paper deliveries because that is letting someone know you will be gone.

Have a neighbor or friend that you trust look after your house while you are gone or perhaps even house sit. Have them change the drapes or blinds around to appear as if someone is home. Have a neighbor park their car in your driveway and to move it around occasionally. You can also have your neighbor put their garbage out in front of your house. And if you are going to be gone for an extended period of time, have someone scheduled to mow your lawn for you.

While it is important for some people to know you will be gone, don't tell everyone. The fewer people that know you will be gone, the better. And make sure that you leave a TV or radio and several lamps placed on automatic timers.