Coatesville officer gets national recognition

Community policing specialist praised in federal newsletter

By Kathleen Brady Shea, Managing Editor, The Times

Coatesville Police Officer Rodger H. Ollis Jr. (left) is shown at a recent City Council meeting. To his right is Interim Police Chief James Bell.

As Coatesville overdoses on adverse publicity from its police and budget woes, a federal newsletter offers a positive perspective.

Coatesville Police Officer Rodger H. Ollis Jr. is featured in the October online issue of the Community-Oriented Policing Service (COPS), which is affiliated with the U.S. Department of Justice.

The article acknowledges Coatesville’s high rates of crime and unemployment but cites the Police Department’s “dedicated and innovative police force,” singling out Ollis’s work as a Community Policing Officer on such efforts as the Beautification Projects, the Coatesville Youth Aid Panel, and the Block Watch.

Asked about the honor, Ollis deflected it. He said that he’s just doing his job and then he quickly credited the citizens who have worked with him to perform tasks such as painting over graffiti, removing shoes from electrical wires, and repairing broken playground equipment.

The article also references an initiative Ollis organized last year after an anonymous donor dropped off 40 frozen turkeys for distribution to those in need. Ollis decided people performing good deeds needed to be rewarded, and so he went out on the street looking for exemplary behavior such as assisting another person. The good Samaritans received “citations” that entitled them to a free turkey.

Coatesville has received $192,716 in COPS funding since 2009, and it is evident that the Coatesville Police Department has a strong understanding of the importance of community policing, the article states. “It is even clearer that Officer Ollis understands the importance of his role as a community member and as a Coatesville Police Officer,” it says.

To read the full article, visit http://cops.usdoj.gov/html/dispatch/10-2012/coatesville.asp.

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2 Comments

  1. Matt Baker says:

    Great recognition – Officer Ollis is the definition of class. Long overdue.

    • Matthew Lapp says:

      I agree with you Matt. He’s one of the best we have. It’s a shame that he gets National recognition, but not local!

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