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See Friday's Newspaper
Friday's DLN will feature interviews with Chief Matthews and Harry Walker. I sat down with each of them separately today to discuss Matthews' performance to date, crime and the state of the police department.
posted by Daily Local at
12:12 PM
13 Comments:
Hi Jenn,
I'll be interested on how Matthews addresses the fact that he still is not certified and still has not been able to pass the written tests for Act 120. Heck I'm just glad you found him. Seems like he's been hiding as of late (maybe counting the days until he can retire).
For Walker - interested if he continues his political rant again Joe Carroll.
When you found him did you have to remove his breathing apparatus for the interview? Did Harry smell like liquor? Who drove? Are either licensed driver's?
Who's Harry? Oh I forgot he's the so called City Manager. How does Harry know what's going on he only shows up to work a few hours a week and does not deal with personnel issues. I don't think he even knows where the Coatesville Police Department is let alone any Officers that have left the Department. The only reason he's glad that seasoned Officers have left is because they know how things are supposed to be ran. He will be gone before the new Officers are up to speed.
City Manager Harry Walker says the Coatesville Police Department is better off now that the last 15 officers have resigned and been replaced with new blood. What Walker isn't acknowledging is that of the 15 officers, only one of them retired. The rest of those officers were young officer with less than seven years on the job with a full future in police work ahead of them. They were not old, tired or undisciplined as Walker would have you think. They were very much the opposite, they were young, eager and looking forward to a career in police work. Fortunately for them, they were smart enough to recognize that a future was not to be had under the current administration of the City of Coatesville.
Mr. Walker wanted to remind everyone that he knows what it takes to be a Police Officer because he was one himself. He said he was a member of the Capitol Police in charge of security of the Capitol complex. Anyone who knows anything about that detail back in the 70’s would know that they only received one week of formal classroom training to qualify for the job which enabled the to be security guards at best. Come on Mr. Walker, even your unqualified police chief came up with something better than that. It's no wonder that you left that one off of your resume.
The District Attorney is diffidently on the right track by wanting to get rid of Chief Matthews and break up the block-of-four that made this nightmare called “City Administration” possible. He needs to go a lot further and rid the city of all of the unqualified, recently hired department heads that are running the city into the ground, including the City Manager.
I am willing to bet that by the end of the year the manager along with his partner Chief Matthews will both leave the city on their own. Both of them are more than aware that their inability to perform their duties is quickly catching up to them. The only problem then will be trying to pick up what pieces are left behind of a broken city with little hope in sight. I leave you with one other tidbit to ponder. “Look at the city’s budget for this year.” There is no why that this budget will cut mustard for the year. Walker is projecting any income revenue that he can (needs to) just to balance the budget for one more year, even if it means increased revenue projections when the rest of the world is in a major recession. Why hasn’t the council opened their eyes to that one yet? I will all but guarantee that the city budget will be belly-up before the end of the third quarter (September). Projected revenues will not materialize, nor will that million dollar piece of distressed city property be sold (again). Besides, what would you build on it? Maybe a bullet proof vest factory or a producer of drug scales and packaging materials.
Please Mr. Matthews, leave the city with a little dignity. Don’t make the District Attorney throw you out on your ears. Have you no shame!! You know you’re not qualified for the position of Police Chief. We need a real Police Officer to fill that position. Not someone who was a police officer for a couple of years four decades ago and thinks he knows what it takes to be a police officer now. You know you’re not doing the job that you have been paid for. Please, just leave the city and don’t look back. We promise not to sue you for breach of contract.
Harry Walker now wants us to belive that he was a police officer. I'm sure that before he leaves town he will tell us that he is also the second coming.
somebody better catch the firebug(S)
Harry G....you were no more a cop than I am a goat! Who do you think you're kidding? Please go back to making deliveries for Fauntleroy's Coffee...perhaps you can manage that! And MR. Matthews, please go back to Maryland...perhaps you can get work at a 'travel agency' outside of DC.
slkeasleywhy did the officers leave, if you
don't like your elected officials you vote them out, not slay them in the media.
if the da didn't support the hiring of the police chief, and don't like city council, why slay them in the media.
the da is also an elected official, who seems to think he is doing a great job. how many offenders are first time offenders. can't the da do something about keeping criminals in jail once they are arrested.
it's like people in glass houses.
c'ville crime seems down to me. i would have more respect for the da if he didn't pudt his office at odds with the police department. yes he has some good ideas, i think he could have not been confrontational.
there are a lot of c'villians who were born and raised in c'ville, it's always the very new residents who think they have all the answers.
how about some i statements from the da regarding what he can do better too.
c'ville will never solve their problems with everyone pulling in a different direction.
don't forget the power of the ballot. i'd like to see the police, the city council and the da do a better job.
smoke screens only work for so long.
If you've ever had the experience to talk with Harry Walker, you would soon discover that he's been everywhere, done everything, and knows it all. For someone with as much self-proclaimed talent, knowledge, and exprerience, why didn't he apply any of that in Coatesville. Fact is, he knows very little and has probably done even less. Oh wait, he can at least brag about his failures while in office in Coatesville. There you go, Harry, brag about that!
How much of the 1/2 million does Harry get?
Hi Jenn,
I think Coatesville needs Bellizzie back as Police Chief.
I have been reding all of the comments with interest. From the begining the hiring of Mr. Walker was a mistake. Someone asked about a grant the city was supposed to receive. Dosen't anyone remember that Mr. Walker does not know how to write grants? He said he would contract that duty out. Dose anyone remember Gene Krack? He was Coatsville's diamond when it came to writing grants! We allowed the block of 4 to fire him,and now look where we are at. As for Cheif Bellizie, I was heart sick when he was no longer willing to be our cheif; every good thing he did is now gone. Personally, I never wanted Walker and didn't vote for any of the block of 4. Every one wanted so much change from Paul Jansen; but look what change has wrought; continued inptness. With the exception of Council person Eggelston, I cant say that anyone deserves to be on council. We need to tread very lightly and completely investigate any replacements. And if they dont have the credentials to do the job then we should not be entertaing the thought of paying them regardless of how small the check is!
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