Crimestopper Textbook...
Time to take another look into the pages of the criminal activities (blue OR white collared) in and around our area. A word of caution, though...reading this could possibly lead to a change in behavior of the reader. You could suffer from extreme ANGER, or be overcome with tearful GLEE. You may even exhibit BOTH at the same time. But whatever the case, you WILL come away from this with KNOWLEDGE. And we ALL know that KNOWLEDGE IS POWER (Scientia est potentia, for you Latin scholars out there).
So buckle up and get ready for another wild ride.
** Looks like our "friend", Anthony Parish has managed to plea-bargain his way to lesser charges (big surprise there). This 19-year old gang-banger (supposed tie to the D Boyz, according to reports?) pleaded GUILTY of charges of attempted murder and aggravated battery in a shooting back on 1 October last year. He will NOT be charged with (regular) battery, criminal recklessness, carrying a firearm without a license, and pointing a handgun.
He faces up to 40 years WHEN he is sentenced in May. And that means he'll be out in 20 years (or less), back on our streets, ready to perpetrate MORE mayhem among us.
In January, Parish was charged with murder, felony murder, robbery, and 2 counts of carrying a handgun w/o a license in another shooting (Antoine Woods on New Haven Avenue). I March, Parish was also charged with attempted murder, aggravated battery and (you guessed it) carrying a handgun w/o a license, accusing him of shooting Dennis Salley (back in August last year).
So, this boy's got a shitload of bad wiring in HIS head...I say let him "have an accident that results in his demise", that way the state can save a crapload of MONEY instead of incarcerating his sorry ass.

I'll volunteer to "assist".
** In a situation that has some similarities to Philadelphia, a group of FWPD officers are suing the city for "back wages"...i.e. "Off-Duty work".

Apparently, with this take-home car policy, officers are coming to the aid of people while off the (official) clock...and there's nothing wrong with that, for as we ALL (should) know...(all together now, boys & girls)...a POLICE OFFICER IS NEVER OFF DUTY.
(very good)
But one can always argue that if an officer has to come to the assistance of someone for something regarding a police matter (and that can run the gamut from changing a tire for a motorist to chasing down a shoplifter...and more), the officer should be able to charge the department for that time "worked", as long as some record exists of the situation and the outcome (and takes less than 30 minutes to resolve).
Got no problem with that one bit.
Officers are NOT salaried, but HOURLY.
The group of officers want the lawsuit to be certified as a CLASS-ACTION suit on behalf of ALL the city's police officers. The complaint asks for 10% of the amount due the officers for each day the amount remains unpaid, according to court documents.
Now, back in Philly, the city AND the state there owes the PPD well over SIX MILLION BUCKS, and has yet to cough up the money, again, for jobs performed while in an "off-duty" capacity as a sworn officer of Philadelphia. There is also a PENSION issue at stake there.
Now I heard that IMITATION is the MOST SINCERE form of FLATTERY, but in this case...not so much.
The city would be wise to NOT alienate the department any further than it already has...for EVERYONE'S benefit (and safety). Hell, parts of the department are alienated one from another, but that's information you don't "need to know". ** Some GOOD news in our neighborhood (imagine that).
I spoke for some time about ALL the "stuff" going on at a RICH convenience store at the corner of Hanna and Pettit Sts. Well, the missus was driving past last evening, and noticed it WAS CLOSED DOWN. The sign was gone, and no lights were on at all, except for the utility poles.
I thought I was seeing less lawn trash and fewer kids munching their asses off after school...now I know why.
This is a GOOD thing, as I alluded to the other week in my post about having MORE convenience stores all over the place.
In my area, they are nothing but a breeding ground for illicit behavior and illegal activities. And like the people infesting the neighboring hovels...the FEWER...the BETTER.
Kudos to whatever city department that was instrumental in closing this place down.
Now...about the druggies hanging at the Senate Bar...
** In a related story to the last one, about 75 people turned out Monday to voice their concerns about 2 "gas stations" planned for the city.
Seems these stations (and convenience stores) are to be located at the SW corner of E. Pontiac and S. Hanna, with the other being at Clay and E. Jefferson Blvd. (sounds a tad close to RENAISSANCE POINTE...doesn't it?)
Neighbors agreed the SOUTHEAST side has a GLUT of 24-hour convenience stores that attract CRIMINAL ACTIVITY with such hours.
(wow, either these folks are observant as all hell...OR they been reading this blog regularly...LOL)
Project developers want to "invest" in the community (what? THEY want drugs too now?), and redevelop underused land.
The project at Hanna & Pontiac is expected to cost $1 million dollars (and what it cost the area in CRIME? A damn sight MORE I'd wager).
There are ALREADY FIVE gas stations within 3 miles of the proposed stations.
Neighbors want to see OTHER types of retail in the area (who can blame them...been saying that MYSELF for YEARS).
Stay tuned for further developments...or not, in this situation. The fewer...the better, right?
** Yeah, I said it HERE first (again). I said that when the price of ciggies goes up...so would robberies.
A Spring street TOBACCO STORE was robbed recently. Dave's Discount Tobacco was hit back on Friday. Two masked men entered, made the owner open a safe and they left with an undisclosed amount of money. On the way out, the robbers ALSO took several packs of NEWPORTS (so my guess is that the robbers were BLACK...Newports ARE the ciggies of choice for these guys..trust me on this one).
** Lastly, two more guns are out of the hands of drug dealers and off our streets.
During a raid on a (where else?) SE side house on the 3600 block of Felician St., where a fugitive warrant was being served, police founds some MJ, a handgun and a rifle. Modesto Feliciano was being held without bail, Jeremiah Hughes was being held in lieu of $52,500 bail, and Amy Hughes was held in lieu of $2,500 bail. All are charged with possession, while Modesto is also charged with battery, and Hughes was charged with dealing.

Nice job, people.
Now, don't you all feel a LOT safer after knowing all this?
Hell, even I do, and living down here, that's NEVER easy.
Still, is spite of all the great work the police are doing, it never helps to be on your toes...just in case, so...
Stay safe out there, America.