Police respond to bike complaints
LANSDALE >> Borough police have spoken out about kids riding bikes in local streets and recent comments by residents about them.
“To date, the Lansdale Police Department has responded to 16 complaints, issued citations, and spoke with all of the parents of the juveniles involved. Any statements which portray the police department as not doing anything about the problem or caring about the issue are patently false,” said Police Chief Michael Trail in a statement.
“The Lansdale Police Department will always respond to these complaints and take the appropriate action given the violation. The seizure of personal property by the police department without a warrant is unlawful, and a practice we will not undertake,” he said.
In recent weeks, complaints have spiked on social media about area youths riding bicycles in local streets and parks, with some comments calling for action by police, while others question the need for more parental involvement.
Trail said in a statement issued Thursday that he and his department have fielded calls and complaints about the bikers riding in traffic and using offensive language when confronted by drivers.
“As a parent, motorist and your police chief, I care deeply about this issue. However, we need, as a community, to work together to abate the problem, and not work to fuel the issue through threats on social media about how people should address the problem,” he said.
“I am asking the community to be a good witness for our officers and report the infractions and stand by for our officer to respond, so we may fully investigate each instance,” Trail said.
Borough council’s Public Safety committee next meets at 7 p.m. on Aug. 7 at the borough municipal building, 1 Vine St.
Temporary Line Street paving soon: Temporary paving will take place on North Line Street starting next week, as delays have occurred in a full paving project scheduled for this summer.
The borough announced Friday that due to weather delays, contractor Doli Construction has “mobilized to other communities” to complete contracted work there, while North Line Street has a contracted deadline for completion by November 2019.
“Now that homeowner curb and sidewalk work is completed, the borough is in a position where we can lessen this inconvenience and disruption for residents and commuters,” said the borough in a statement Friday.
“By taking a proactive approach and providing temporary
paving on N. Line St., the borough will provide relief until Doli is able to return and complete the roadway,” the borough said.
Temporary paving will be applied to ten feet in each traffic lane to provide a smoother roadway for traffic to navigate, and in order to do the paving, the roadway will be temporarily shut down with detour routes posted. Borough officials said work will likely begin on Thursday or Friday, Aug. 8 or 9, with future updates to be posted and publicized through borough communication channels and in the area
of the roadwork.
Police promotions approved: Two Lansdale police officers will soon have new titles and new responsibilities.
Council voted unanimously on July 17 to promote Officers Amanda North and Jeffrey Mallozzi to the rank of sergeant.
Mallozzi has been with the department for 20 years and has acted as the department’s accident reconstruction expert, according to MediaNews Group archives, while North was hired in early 2017 and received an individual citation of merit for an arrest that September of a suspect carrying a handgun with its serial number removed and 180 bags of heroin.
Both promotions were vetted and recommended by the borough’s civil service commission and public safety committee, and both are pending physical and psychological exams. Trail said formal promotion ceremonies will likely be held during council’s Aug. 21 business meeting.
Bike Night, Crop Walk get OK: Council also voted to approve two upcoming events, both of which were
vetted by police and the public safety committee.
The 24th annual Lansdale Bike Night, organized by the Blue Comet Motorcycle Club, will be held on Sept. 9 from 5 to 11 p.m., and brings vendors and bikers together all along Main Street. The motion approved by council authorizes the closing of West Main from Valley Forge Road to Broad Street and other nearby streets from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m., with a rain date of Sept. 9 from noon to 5 p.m.
Manna on Main Street’s annual Crop Walk was also approved unanimously by council, and will take place starting at 1 p.m. on Oct. 6. That event is part of a national movement sponsored by Church World Service and will begin at Trinity Lutheran Church, 1000 W. Main Street, and continue on sidewalks throughout the borough.
150th Anniversary planning starts: Borough Manager John Ernst announced that informal planning has started for the town’s 150th anniversary celebrations, which are roughly three years away.
“We have started to talk about the 150th anniversary of the borough, coming in 2022. I don’t know where the conversation is going to go. I do know we have some big shoes to fill, from the 125th anniversary, and the 100th anniversary,” he said.
Staff have begun early talks with the Lansdale Historical Society on what events and commemorations were held during those celebrations in 1972 and 1997, and Ernst said the society currently has on hand programs from those celebrations, and an opera detailing the history of the town from its founding in 1872 through its first century.
“I don’t know if we necessarily need to repeat that. We might be able to use that same play, to put it on — the point is, we will be starting conversations,” he said.
Anyone interested in assisting is asked to contact borough Communication Coordinator Tracy Flynn or at tflynn@lansdale.org or borough Recording Secretary smaile@lansdale. org respectively.
Lansdale’s borough council next meets at 9
pm. on Aug. 7, with various committees starting at 7 p.m, all at the borough municipal building, 1 Vine
St. For more information visit www.Lansdale.org or follow @LansdalePA on Twitter.