Newtown Police Answer 806 Calls So Far for January

NEWTOWN SQUARE–At a Board of Supervisors meeting on Monday night, Chief Dennis Anderson provided a brief overview on the number of police incidents that have occurred in the township for the year thus far.

Since the beginning of the year, Newtown police received a total of 806 calls as of Monday's latest report, said Anderson. In total, there were 34 calls for township alarms; 27 for suspicious persons, vehicles or circumstances; and eight domestic distrubance calls.

In addition, there were 15 fire calls and 25 911 hang-up calls. Some of the larger incidents occured for medical emergencies. So far in January, there were 76 medical emergency calls.

There were 97 traffic tickets issued since the beginning of the month as well as 32 motor vehicle accidents.

Anderson also addressed to the supervisors and the public an issue regarding house numbers not being visible to the street.

According to Anderson, the ambulance company and medical responders have had trouble responding to a medical emergency due to home address numbers not being visible to the street.

Supervisors Chairman Joseph Catania responded that visible home numbers is a township ordinance that should be abided by all residents.

Township Ordinance No. 2006-04 requires that all homes and business to display numbers that are clearly visible from the street. According to the township, the reason for this requirement is to assist the police, ambulance and fire company in locating properties in the case of an emergency. In addition, numbers must be at least 4 inches high and 2.5 inches wide with scotchlite reflective material or of a color which contrasts with its background. 

Township Manager Mike Trio also shared that the police department were an integral part in preparation for the that occurred in the area.

"Following notification from Sgt. [Brian] Mcneill of the police department at 2:25 a.m., I dispathed the Public Works Department at 2:28 a.m. on Saturday morning to begin treatment of the roadway surfaces," recounted Trio. "All personnel were called in and vehicles were on the street by 3 a.m."

According to Trio, the township's plowing contractor, Valley Green Co., was contacted to provide additional trucks and manpower for the snowfall.

"This was necessary due to the mechanical breakdown of two of the public works' mid-sized dump trucks," said Trio.