Gun buyback takes 38 guns off the street

Officials say they hope to ‘break the cycle of guns on the streets’ By Kyle Carrozza, Staff Writer, The Times Coatesville police officers, including Chief Jack Laufer III (second from right) stand next to the guns collected during Saturday’s gun buyback. The department collected 38 guns, a combination of shotguns, rifles, pistols, and ammunition. COATESVILLE – The Coatesville Police...

Police seek leads on possible Chestnut St. arson

Home burns on same block where mother and son died in Sept., 2012 Police say a suspicious fire happened in the early morning hours Sunday on E. Chestnut St., just doors away from the row home where a city woman and her young son died in a fire in September. Above, emergency responders attend to more than 30 displaced people at the time of the September fire. COATESVILLE — The city’s Police...

E. Fallowfield residents challenge police budget

Residents say department’s budget is too high By Jamie Richard, Staff Writer, The Times EAST FALLOWFIELD – Residents expressed their concerns over police spending in the township’s board of supervisors discussed the proposed 2013 budget. A workshop for the budget was held last week, prior to the supervisors’ regular meeting in which the board looked for ways to reduce an anticipated...

Coatesville hires Johnson as new police chief

City council votes 6-0 in favor of Philadelphia deputy police commissioner By Jamie Richard, Staff Writer, The Times The Coatesville City Council voted unanimously, Tuesday night to hire Stephen T. Johnson (inset) as the city’s new police chief. COATESVILLE – The city’s long and winding search for a police chief ended last night when city council voted to appoint Deputy Commissioner Stephen...

Caln authorizes termination agreement for former police chief

The board of commissioners will finalize their termination of former chief Brian Byerly By Jamie Richard, Staff Writer, The Times CALN – The board of commissioners voted to authorize the execution of the termination agreement with former Police Chief Brian R. Byerly at their meeting, Thursday. “Tonight’s agreement was approved at the direction of our legal counsel and, when executed, will complete...

Caln seeks outside aid in police-chief search

Commissioners will accept proposal from state organization By Jamie Richard, Staff writer, The Times The Caln Township commissioners agreed to receive assistance from the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association in their search for a new police chief.  CALN – While no definitive timetable has been set for the hiring of a new police chief, the board of commissioners has accepted outside aid in their...

Seven more layoffs needed in Coatesville

Actions — or lack of — by City Council are unacceptable. Take your city back, folks. By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times I honestly wish I were making this stuff up. Imagine this: a city on the edge of insolvency and a City Council member decided she had too much stuff to do around the house to stick around for crucial votes? And then failing to hire a new, surprisingly qualified police chief —...

Police urge residents’ vigilance to help catch thieves

Information is being sought on two recent West Caln break-ins By Kathleen Brady Shea, Managing Editor, The Times Recent burglaries in the region have prompted area police to encourage residents to break a habit of being reluctant to call 9-1-1 immediately if they see suspicious activity. Last month, Westtown-East Goshen Township police apprehended an alleged thief because a resident witnessed a suspicious...

Council members owe a spate of apologies

Meeting heaped insults on former D.A., police, a motorcycle club, even the Council president By Kathleen Brady Shea, Managing Editor, The Times  Say what you will about  Joseph W. Carroll – and plenty of folks did at last night’s embarrassing City Council meeting –  the former District Attorney has never wavered in his commitment to Coatesville. He appeared at the meeting because he had...

The damage of narrow self-interest

These days, it’s everyone for themselves and we all suffer By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times We’re all in this together, right? I’ll pause while you stop laughing. The 1970s were supposed to be the “Me Decade,” but it seems that what really happened was the emergence of the “Me Generation.” As that generation took power in the halls of government and corporate governance,...