Upper Darby addresses violence at cemetery
Nearly 500 people tuned in for a virtual community meeting Sunday evening held by Upper Darby Mayor Barbarann Keffer to address the recent shootings at Friends Southeastern Cemetery on Powell Lane during an alleged gang-related funeral.
The meeting was called after last week’s double shooting left two attendees seriously wounded, the second incidence of gunfire at the cemetery in two months.
“I know residents who border the cemetery are deeply concerned about the violence that has occurred, and I am pleased to have this opportunity to let them and the entire community know what steps my administration has taken to prevent future violence,” said Keffer. “It’s a very serious issue. We want to you to know that we are trying to stay on top of it.”
Police Superintendent Tim Bernhardt reviewed police response on March 4 after a man and woman were shot.
Bernhardt said police were initially called for shots fired at the cemetery and on arrival they found numerous people trying to exit the cemetery onto Powell Lane. Police located the two shooting victims and worked with Delaware County Hospital paramedics and fire department first responders to treat them and transport them to trauma centers. Both underwent emergency surgery and they are still in the hospital in stable condition.
Bernhardt said the investigation is ongoing. They have two people of interest, but no arrests have been made at this time. He then reviewed police interactions at the cemetery over the past two and a half years.
In the last few years, the Quaker burial ground has become popular for its simple burials with the number of funerals going from about
5 to 10 to as many as 300 services a year. Many of these funerals are allegedly gang-related and involve murder victims from Philadelphia’s burgeoning murder rate.
He said in 2019, police were at the cemetery during four large-scale funerals, one of them gang-related. In
2020, police were on hand at
11 large-scale funerals, two of them gang-related. In 2020, there were two problematic funerals that police were not notified about ahead of time; one saw a large amount of traffic while the second saw people congregating around the cemetery afterwards.
In 2021, a call came in on Jan. 4 call for a shooting; no victim was found. Just prior to that call, projectiles had hit St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church across the street.
On Jan. 14, the cemetery caretaker reported someone on the property; nothing was found. On Jan. 22 and 28, there were gang-related funerals. The police were not notified about one of them in advance. There were no problems at either, Bernhardt said.
Police have not seen increased calls for people visiting grave sites, Bernhardt said, but they did have one call for a person sleeping in a car.
The caretaker at the cemetery is supposed to notify police ahead of time for large funerals or for those that might be gang related.
At the March 4 funeral, the police patrol captain was notified last minute by e-mail; notification is supposed to be by phone, Bernhardt said. The captain was on the street and did not receive it in a timely manner.
In response to the shooting, Bernhardt met with the director of the Lenwood Jones Funeral Home, which is where many of the large funerals originate, Bernhardt said. Funeral directors there will now partner with Upper Darby police 24 hours in advance to notify them about funerals coming to the cemetery.
Police are also in communication with the Quaker Board of the cemetery, as well as Philadelphia police in adjoining Districts to have advance warning.
Bernhardt said he has spoken to neighborhood residents and officials at St. Demetrios Church.
Keffer said the township solicitor is looking into measures that authorities could take in reference to the cemetery to assure the safety of the neighborhood and to come up with solutions. Ideas discussed included moving the entrance of the cemetery from Powell Lane, a community street, onto Marshall Road. However, that would need to have PennDOT input.
Township officials have also reached out to state officials to make sure the cemetery is performing burials properly.
Bernhardt answered over 40 questions from the public and elected officials who were signed into the virtual event. Police patrol that particular area near the city border closely and are prepared to respond to any funeral at the cemetery.
One neighbor, who lives across from the cemetery, said officials had told them residents would be notified ahead of time for any gang-related services and they weren’t. The neighbor claimed officials are now trying to clean up something that should have been handled months ago.
A member of St. Demetrios Church pointed out that they’ve had a bullet enter the nursery classroom and pierce the church sanctuary’s stained glass from shootings and he’s worried about the safety of church members.
Bernhardt stressed that police aggressively patrol that area along the border with Philadelphia and will continue to do so. He said he will meet with any residents who wish to speak with him or if they have ideas to make things safer.
Keffer reminded residents that calls to 911 can remain anonymous if residents don’t want to give their names.
A resident asked about video surveillance at the graveyard. Bernhardt said there is one camera pointed towards the house and they are trying to convince them to put more cameras on cemetery property.
Bernhardt said they will work on putting out alerts to neighborhood residents when large funerals like these happen. He also said the funeral home could provide private security and that conversation has started.
“The shootings in the past week have been a wakeup call, and we’re ready to drill down and figure it out,” said Keffer. She added they are open to better ways to get things done.