Response: Rethinking Law, Order in Norristown

Today, I wanted to share my response to an article posted on Philly.com discussing the policing change in Norristown. You may follow the link in the last sentence to read if you haven't already to understand my response.

I would like to first THANK the Norristown Police Department and Chief Talbot for making the effort to reduce crime in Norristown. Everyday it seems like we are waking up to another story of an officer using excessive force on their residents and the lack of trust in other departments. I am happy that Norristown has been proactive in this to increase trust among residents and avoided any major issues in our community we are working hard to bring back. 

Crime in Norristown has gone down, but it's still here...we can not ignore that. This Spring, we have seen three shootings around town which is an increase compared to the same time frame last year. So is crime going back up? I highly doubt it, but it is something that needs to be looked at to prevent this in the future. Typically when the weather gets warm, there is a short spike in overall crime then tapers off. 

On June 3rd, NPD has created an event called "Coffee with a Cop" at Dunkin Donuts on West Main Street. You can view more details on the flyer or visit our community calendar for more information. The timing of the event is tough as is occurs on a weekday and in the morning. I decided to go into work late on this day to have a chance to meet officers in my community and report on what happens at the event. If you are not working, I ask that you attend and introduce yourself to the officers and express any concerns you may have.

On the following week, NPD is hosting a Public COMPSTAT meeting at Montgomery Host Fire Company on Freedley. Information is available in the flyer above or you can view the event on our community calendar. This meeting is an opportunity to see current crime trends in town and how NPD has addressed the issue. This is also an opportunity to see what is being done to reduce crime in Norristown and possibly speak to Chief Talbot and his leadership team. 

I will repeat this again, Norristown Police should be recognized for their proactive approach regarding better policing strategy through community feedback. The police and residents need to work together more to increase trust and reduce major crimes. If the officers begin to know the residents and vice versa, we can see better communication and stronger bond. This has been absent in our community in recent years and it seems as if we may have found a solution. 

Also, I have mentioned many times on TNP's blog and Facebook page for everyone to join Nextdoor. Today a neighbor gave a heads up about a break-in and we were able to reach out to our neighbors instantly to be alert. NPD has stepped up patrol in our area to help. There is also a feature available to cities to join the site to send out alerts immediately via text/email which I hope the Municipality can jump on like other cities around the country.

Norristown Police and residents still have a long way to go before we have 100% trust and no crime in the community. Embrace these first couple of baby steps and let's work together for a better Norristown!