INITIATED BY AND AFFILIATED
WITH PA STATE POLICE AND
THE PA COMMISSION ON
CRIME AND JUVENILE
DELINQUENCY.
RECOGNIZED WITH ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
BY THE CRIME COMMISSION FOR EFFORTS
IN ESTABLISHING A CRIME WATCH PROGRAM
IN COPLAY. IT WAS ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH
THE EFFORTS OF MANY COPLAY RESIDENTS
WHO CAME FORWARD AND VOLUNTEERED
THEIR TIME, FINANCIAL, PHYSICAL AND "IN
KIND" SERVICE INVOLVEMENT. THANK YOU.
NO INDIVIDUAL COUPLE DID THIS ALONE.
WE ARE GRATEFUL TO NOW RETIRED POLICE
CHIEF DONALD B. HILL, NOW RETIRED PA
STATE TROOPER PAT MOE, NOW RETIRED PA
STATE TROOPER ROBIN RIVERA AND CURRENT
PA STATE TROOPERS ROBERT TYLER AND
MARK ALLEN AND COPLAY MAYOR IN 1995,
JOSEPHINE SHEMANSKI.
 |
| ABOVE IS A DESCRIPTION OF CRIME WATCH |
 |
| ONE OF 3 ORIGINAL SIGNS PROVIDED BY THE PA STATE POLICE TO COPLAY CRIME WATCH. |
AT 3 N. 5TH ST, SAT ON THE FRONT
PORCH AND REFLECTED ON THE
2 ROBBERIES THAT OCCURRED AT
7TH AND CHESTNUT ST. AND
ANOTHER INCIDENT WHICH TOOK
PLACE IN A NEIGHBORING TOWN.
THE QUESTION WAS, "SHOULD WE
ATTEMPT TO ORGANIZE A CRIME
WATCH PROGRAM IN COPLAY ?"
TWO PREVIOUS OCCASIONS TO
INITIATE A PROGRAM FELL SHORT
OF EXPECTATIONS. IT WAS DECIDED
TO CONTACT COPLAY POLICE CHIEF
(NOW RETIRED) DONALD B. HILL.
HE ENTHUSIASTICALLY EMBRACED
THE IDEA AND PLEDGED HIS FULL
SUPPORT AND INVOLVEMENT. THRU
HIS EFFORTS, WE WERE PLACED IN
CONTACT WITH PA STATE POLICE
COMMUNITY SERVICE OFFICER
TROOPER PAT MOE (NOW RETIRED).
THE LETTER ABOVE WAS THE RESPONSE.
TROOPER MOE APPROVED A DIFFERENT
APPROACH WHICH HAD ALLOWED US TO
CONCENTRATE ON A NEIGHBORHOOD
WITH A SURVEY TO FIND IF ENOUGH
INTEREST COULD BE GENERATED.
SURVEY REPLY CARDS ARE HERE ON
FILE WITH THE AFFIRMATIVE RESPONSE.
ILLNESS SET BACK THE PROGRAM TO 1995
AND WITH CHIEF HILL AND TROOPER MOE
LEADING THE WAY, ALONG WITH THE
COUPLE, AN ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING
WAS CONDUCTED BY TROOPER MOE IN
COPLAY BOROUGH COUNCIL CHAMBERS
WITH A PACKED HOUSE IN ATTENDANCE.
OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS, ATTENDANCE
AVERAGED 26 ACTIVE MEMBERS. COPLAY
CRIME WATCH , STARTING IN 2004, PRINTED
AND DISTRIBUTED A NEWSLETTER TO ITS'
MEMBERS. IT HAS BEEN PASSIVE IN NATURE,
POSTING SAFETY TIPS IN THE BOROUGH
NEWSLETTER EVEN THOUGH THAT NEWS-
LETTER IS NOT MAILED TO EACH HOME
IN COPLAY. COPLAY CRIME WATCH IS IN
THE PROCESS OF INITIATING A NEW
PROGRAM, TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION
THE FACT THAT, IN THIS DAY AND AGE,
MOST FAMILIES ARE FACED WITH BOTH
FAMILY MEMBERS HAVING TO HOLD A JOB
JUST TO MAKE ENDS MEET. THESE ARE
TOUGH TIMES AND WE WILL WORK TO
PROVIDE ALL RESIDENTS WITH THE INFO
NEEDED TO BE PASSIVELY ACTIVE IN THE
EFFORT TO PROVIDE WHAT THE COPLAY
CRIME WATCH MOTTO HAS STATED FROM
DAY ONE:
"BOROUGH AND NEIGHBORHOOD SECURITY
PERSONAL AND FAMILY SAFETY."
WATCH FOR FUTURE ANNOUNCEMENTS
OF OUR PROGRAM PROGRESS. WE PROMISE
TO INVOLVE THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY OVER
TIME.
IN THE MEANTIME, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO
STOP BY 3 N. 5TH ST. TO PROVIDE ANY
SUGGESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE OR JUST
TO SIT DOWN IN A FRIENDLY MANNER AND
DISCUSS ANYTHING ABOUT THE CLOSEST
THING TO UTOPIA,"COPLAY". IT BELONGS
TO ALL OF US. IT IS THE MOST SELF
SUFFICIENT COMMUNITY IN THE LEHIGH
VALLEY AND THERE ARE MANY THAT LOOK
AT US WITH ENVY, BECAUSE THEY WISH THEY
COULD BE RESIDENTS OF THIS BOROUGH.
GOD BLESS,
FRANK AND ANN DICKMAN
COPLAY CRIME WATCH IS NOT AFFILIATED IN
ANY WAY WITH THE LOCAL COPLAY OR NATIONAL
TOWN WATCH ASSOCIATION OF WYNNEWOOD, PA.
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