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| PA STATE POLICE AUTHORIZED CRIME EYE & McGRUFF CRIME WATCH SIGN CLICK ON SIGNS TO ENLARGE. |
MAY 10, 2011.
IN MAY OF 1994, A COUPLE ON N.5TH ST. SAT ON THEIR FRONT PORCH AND REFLECTED ON THE 2 ROBBERIES THAT OCCURRED AT THE SERVICE STATION AT 7TH & CHESTNUT, THE BURGLARY AT THE CHURCH OF ST. PETER AND AN INCIDENT IN HOKENDAUQUA. THEY CONSIDERED THE POSSIBILITY OF INITIALIZING A CRIME WATCH GROUP IN COPLAY AND CONTACTED THE POLICE CHIEF, AT THAT TIME, DONALD B. HILL AND HE WAS ENTHUSIASTIC WITH THE IDEA. DONALD, NOW IN RETIREMENT, SHOULD BE COMMENDED FOR THE ONGOING EFFORT HE PUT FORTH IN HELPING TO DEVELOP COPLAY CRIME WATCH. HE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR MUCH OF THE APPARENT SUCCESS THE ORGANIZATION REALIZED. CONTACT WAS MADE WITH PA TROOPER PAT MOE WHO AUTHORIZED SOME LATITUDE IN THE APPROACH TO FORM THE GROUP. ONE OF THE INDIVIDUALS INVOLVED BECAME ILL AND PLANS WERE PUT ON HOLD UNTIL MAY 1995, AT WHICH TIME, THEN MAYOR, JOSEPHINE SHEMANSKI JOINED IN THE EFFORT. ON JULY 12, 1995, TROOPER MOE CONDUCTED THE INITIAL MEETING AND MADE THE RESIDENTS PRESENT AWARE,OF WHAT WAS AHEAD IN THIS VENTURE. TROOPER MOE ALSO PROMISED TO PROVIDE COPLAY CRIME WATCH, AT NO COST, PA STATE POLICE AUTHORIZED SIGNS TO BE PLACED IN THE BOROUGH. THE TROOPER STATED THAT THE SIGNS COULD BE LOCALIZED WITH SPECIFIC WORDING, SUCH AS, 5TH ST. OR FRONT ST OR WHATEVER THE GROUP DECIDED. ONE OF THE PARTICIPANTS, MIKE OLESCHAK, SPOKE UP AND SUGGESTED THAT THE SIGNS WORDING SHOULD BE GENERAL IN NATURE BECAUSE EVENTUALLY THE WHOLE COMMUNITY SHOULD BE INVOLVED AND NOT JUST A SPECIFIC LOCALITY. THIS RESULTED IN THE SIGN AS SHOWN ABOVE "CRIME WATCH IN OPERATION - COPLAY BOROUGH". THE NEW SIGNS BECAME THE PROPERTY OF CCW AND TROOPER MOE STATED THAT THE GROUP WOULD SERVE AS A SEPARATE, INDEPENDENT ENTITY THAT WOULD WORK COOPERATIVELY WITH THE LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENT AS THEIR EXTENDED EYES AND EARS. THE CRIME WATCH EYE AND McGRUFF SIGNS WERE PLACED STRATEGICALLY IN THE BOROUGH FOR ALL TO SEE, RESIDENTS AND VISITORS ALIKE. THIS TYPE SIGN IS QUITE VISIBLE WHEN VISITING OTHER COMMUNITIES IN THE LEHIGH VALLEY AND ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH AND IS A PROVEN DETERRENT TO CRIME. IN OCTOBER OF 1995, TROOPER MOE ANNOUNCED THE CERTIFICATION OF COPLAY CRIME WATCH BY THE COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA. A MEMBER MADE THE MOTION TO PURCHASE 6 ADDITIONAL SIGNS TO BE ERECTED IN THE BOROUGH. PURCHASES OF SIGNS MUST BE PROCESSED THROUGH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, WHO PAYS FOR THEM AND THEN WAS REIMBURSED BY COPLAY CRIME WATCH. THE BOROUGH PROVIDED, FREE OF CHARGE, THE NECESSARY HARDWARE TO MOUNT THE SIGNS. IN 1997, AFTER 2 YEARS GUIDING THE EFFORTS OF THE ORGANIZATION, THE DICKMANS ASKED FOR SOMEONE TO STEP FORWARD SO THEY COULD STEP DOWN. AT A MEETING IN JUNE 1997, CCW MEMBERS VOTED B. LEINER, Jr. IN AS THE NEW COORDINATOR. HE WAS THE ONLY CANDIDATE. HE SERVED IN THAT CAPACITY FOR SEVERAL YEARS, STEPPED ASIDE AND NAMED ANOTHER PERSON FOR COORDINATOR AND A COUPLE OF YEARS LATER PERSONALLY RETURNED AS COORDINATOR. DURING THIS TIME PERIOD, HE NEVER NAMED A NOMINATING COMMITTEE OR HELD AN ELECTION AS THE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES IN PLACE REQUIRED. HE CLAIMED THESE WERE ONLY LOOSE GUIDELINES AND WERE NOT BY-LAWS. THESE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES WERE PUT TOGETHER IN THE FIRST TWO YEARS BY A COMMITTEE, SUBMITTED TO THE MEMBERSHIP FOR DISCUSSION AND CONSIDERATION AND THEN RATIFIED BY THE MEMBERSHIP. B. LEINER, Jr. ANNOUNCED EARLY ON THAT HE NAMED A COMMITTEE OF 3 TO REVIEW AND POSSIBLY CHANGE THE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES. 2 YEARS LATER WHEN QUERIED ON THE STATUS OF THE COMMITTEE AND THEIR FINDINGS, HE STATED THAT THEY STILL NOT HAD A MEETING. IT WAS I WHO POSED THE QUESTION AT A CCW MEETING. INCIDENTALLY, ANN DICKMAN,WHO SERVED AS CO-COORDINATOR AT THE GROUP'S FOUNDING, ALSO SERVED AS THE SECRETARY/TREASURER. SHE DID STAY ON AS THE TREASURER AND EVENTUALLY GAVE IT UP, BUT MISSED ONLY TWO MEETINGS (WEATHER RELATED ISSUE) UNTIL SHE HAD KNEE SURGERY IN SEPTEMBER OF 2003. ON JANUARY 14, 2004, AT THE REGULAR COPLAY CRIME WATCH (?) MEETING, B. LEINER, Jr. ANNOUNCED THAT A NUMBER OF CCW MEMBERS SIGNED A PAPER AND ANNOUNCED THE FORMATION OF A NEW GROUP NAMED TOWN WATCH, AFFILIATED WITH THEIR PARENT ORGANIZATION NATIONAL TOWN WATCH, WHICH WAS LOCATED IN WYNNEWOOD, PA NEAR PHILADELPHIA. INCIDENTALLY, THERE WAS AN ARTICLE IN A PHILADELPHIA NEWSPAPER IN JULY 2008 AND LATER, IN A SUNBURY PAPER IN AUGUST 2008, WHERE NATIONAL TOWN WATCH WAS TAKEN TO TASK FOR WHAT IT WAS PAYING ITS' DIRECTOR. NATIONAL TOWN WATCH MOSTLY PROMOTES THE ANNUAL NNO (NATIONAL NIGHT OUT AGAINST CRIME) ON THE FIRST TUESDAY IN AUGUST AND PROVIDES AWARDS TO COMMUNITIES THAT RUN THE BEST EVENTS. THE STORY ALSO SAYS THAT NATIONAL TOWN WATCH PROVIDES LITTLE ASSISTANCE FOR NEIGHBORHOOD CRIME WATCH GROUPS. THE ARTICLE ALSO STATED THAT MANY COMMUNITIES AND STATES ACROSS THE COUNTRY WERE WALKING AWAY FROM THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF TOWN WATCH AND CREATING THEIR OWN LOCALIZED OBSERVANCE OF NIGHTS AGAINST CRIME.
AN ADDITIONAL ARTICLE TOLD OF THEN SENATOR ARLEN SPECTOR BEING CRITICAL OF THE NATIONAL NIGHT OUT DIRECTOR'S COMPENSATION. SENATOR SPECTOR HAD SPONSORED A GRANT TO NTW WHICH AMOUNTED TO $3 MILLION IN SUBSIDIES OVER A DECADE. THE SENATOR DROPPED SUPPORT IN 2007.
THE CONCEPT OF NNO (NATIONAL NIGHT OUT), IN AND OF ITSELF, IS A NOTEWORTHY VENTURE, EXCEPT WHEN IT IS USED FOR PERSONAL AND/OR POLITICAL GAIN.
IN ADDITION, ON JANUARY 14, 2004, LEINER Jr. STATED THAT HE "DISSOLVED COPLAY CRIME WATCH LIKE DROPPING ALKA SELTZER TABLETS IN A GLASS OF WATER". HE SAID THIS ALSO IN THE BOROUGH NEWSLETTER. 3 BLOCK CAPTAINS, OF 7 AND 1/2 YEARS STANDING, WERE NEVER NOTIFIED OF ANY OF THESE PROCEEDINGS. THE ORIGINAL COPLAY CRIME WATCH HELD A MEETING IN FEBRUARY AND ANOTHER ON MARCH 2, 2004. AND ELECTED NEW OFFICERS AND NEVER MISSED A BEAT. BILL LEINER, Jr. AND 5 OF HIS CREW ATTENDED THE MARCH MEETING AND HE WAS ALLOWED TO SPEAK.
THE MEMBERS OF COPLAY CRIME WATCH ASKED LEINER, Jr. 3 QUESTIONS:
1. WHY WAS THE NAME CHANGE NECESSARY?
2. WHO WERE THE PEOPLE THAT SIGNED THE PAPER TO CHANGE?
3. WHAT HAPPEHED TO THE FUNDS IN THE COPLAY CRIME WATCH TREASURY?
HIS RESPONSE WAS: "THAT'S OLD BUSINESS AND I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT". THAT WAS NOTHING NEW FOR B. LEINER Jr.!!
THE NEXT STEP FOR LEINER Jr. WAS TO HAVE STICKERS (LABELS) MADE WITH THE WORD "TOWN" ON THEM. THEY THEN PROCEEDED TO PLACE THE STICKERS OVER THE WORD "CRIME" ON THE SIGNS THAT WERE GIVEN TO COPLAY CRIME WATCH BY THE PA STATE POLICE, AS WELL AS THOSE PURCHASED SEPERATELY BY CCW. COPLAY CRIME WATCH RETALIATED BY HAVING STICKERS MADE WITH THE WORD "CRIME" AND COVERED THE WORD "TOWN", ESSENTIALLY RECLAIMING THE SIGNS. THE NEW POLICE CHIEF (WHOSE BOSS AS MAYOR WAS B. LEINER Jr.) STATED THAT HE WOULD STEP IN TO THE SITUATION AND HAVE NEW SIGNS PUT IN PLACE OF THE PA STATE AUTHORIZED SIGNS. IT WAS STATED THAT TOWN WATCH PAID FOR THE NEW SIGNS. I GUESS THEY USED THE CCW TREASURY FUNDS FOR THIS PURPOSE.
I PERSONALLY CONTACTED THE NEW POLICE CHIEF AND ASKED FOR THE ORIGINAL PA STATE AUTHORIZED SIGNS. THE CHIEF TOLD ME THAT HE WAS GIVEN A VERBAL ORDER BY 2 COUNCIL MEMBERS TO TAKE POSSESSION OF THE SIGNS UNTIL COUNCIL DECIDES ON THEIR DISPOSITION. WE HAVE IN OUR POSESSION A BOOKLET AND AN ACCOMPANYING LETTER OVER THE SIGNATURE OF B. LEINER, Jr. DATED DECEMBER 16, 2007. IT STATES THAT AT THE REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING OF 12/11/07, BOROUGH SOLICITOR J. BARTGES (NOW DECEASED) RENDERED AN OPINION THAT THE SIGNS BELONGED TO TOWN WATCH. ALSO, THAT COUNCIL VOTED UNANIMOUSLY FOR THE SIGNS TO BE RETURNED TO B. LEINER, Jr. AS PRESIDENT OF TOWN WATCH. (THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN A DEAD ISSUE BECAUSE AT LEAST 6 MEMBERS OF COUNCIL WERE MEMBERS OF TOWN WATCH AT THAT TIME AND SHOULD HAVE ABSTAINED FROM VOTING. BUT, THAT'S HOW B. LEINER, Jr. DID THINGS) THE LETTER ALSO SAYS LEINER Jr. RECEIVED THE SIGNS FROM THE POLICE CHIEF. LEINER, Jr. ALSO REFERRED TO THE FACT THAT TOWN WATCH MEMBERSHIP AGREED TO ALLOW ME TO KEEP THE CRIME WATCH SIGN THAT ANN AND I HAVE IN OUR PARLOR WINDOW. HOW I HOPED AND PRAYED THAT THEY WOULD COME AND TRY TO CLAIM IT. THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN HIT RIGHT BETWEEN THE EYES WITH A BIG SURPRISE. OH, HOW I WISH THEY HAD!!!
ONE YEAR AGO THIS MONTH WE RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM A GENTLEMAN IN COPLAY, WHO IN TURN HAD RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM A 3RD PARTY, THAT THEY HAD IN THEIR POSSESSION 3 COPLAY CRIME WATCH SIGNS (THE PA STATE AUTHORIZED SIGNS) THAT HAD BEEN RECOVERED FROM AN ABANDONED CEMENT QUARRY NOT FAR FROM COPLAY. THE INDIVIDUAL THAT CALLED US ASKED IF HE COULD BRING THE SIGNS TO OUR HOME BECAUSE HE FELT THAT IS WHERE THEY RIGHTLY BELONGED. WE READILY ACCEPTED HIS OFFER WITH SINCERE GRATITUDE. HOW COULD THE SIGNS BE FOUND IN AN ABANDIONED CEMENT QUARRY, YOU ASK? PLEASE REMEMBER THE ABOVE MENTIONED LETTER OVER THE SIGNATURE OF B. LEINER, Jr. DRAW YOUR OWN CONCLUSION. NUFF SAID!!!
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| PICTURE OF THE 3 SIGNS RECOVERED FROM AN ABANDONED CEMENT QUARRY NEAR COPLAY. CLICK ON PICTURE TO ENLARGE. |
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