A group of West Philly residents who patrol their neighborhood from 47th to 49th Streets between Baltimore and Kingsessing will receive a commendation tomorrow for their help in catching a phone thief recently.
The patrol area of the 48th Street Neighborhood Town Watch (click to enlarge).
Patty Bulack, Charles Hamilton and Bruce Dorpalen, who are active members in the 48th Street Neighborhood Town Watch, will receive commendatory letters from Penn’s Department of Public Safety. All three were crucial in the apprehension of a man wanted in connection with the April 8 knifepoint robbery of a Penn student at 42nd and Spruce. A cell phone was taken in the incident. An arrest warrant was issued for a man that the Town Watch group spotted the day before in their neighborhood. When they spotted him again the following night they alerted police.
Here is a description of their actions from an e-mail posted by Bulack on the group listserv:
Last night Bruce, Charles and I went out on our usual 9 to 10 pm walk through the neighborhood. During that walk, Officer Vallette texted me to tell me that there was a warrant out for the arrest of the young man that we had seen on Saturday because of an investigation involving details of the knife point robbery that pointed directly to him. As we were walking south on 49th St. between Windsor and Springfield, he passed us on the sidewalk going north and Charles knew it was him. After calling 911, we called Officers Olesik and Vallette, and Olesik came and picked up Charles to continue finding him. They did find him on 48th St at Larchwood, with the phone he had taken.
Soon after they apprehended the suspect, Hamilton’s wife went into labor and police drove him to the hospital, where his son was later born.
April 18th, 2012 at 11:34 am
Great job!!!
April 18th, 2012 at 11:45 am
Thanks Patty, Bruce and Charles for keeping our neighborhood safer! And congratulations to Charles on our newest little neighbor. 🙂
April 18th, 2012 at 12:17 pm
Nice! And congratulations to Charles!
April 18th, 2012 at 2:14 pm
yeaaaaaaaaa
April 18th, 2012 at 5:48 pm
Hello All,
Just a few corrections – the police drove Charles to his home, where he met his wife and took her to the hospital. And they had a beautiful girl! I feel so privileged to have been able to hold her yesterday!
May 6th, 2012 at 3:06 pm
Does anyone know something about the African Cultural Center at 5000 Springfield Ave? We are consistently awakened to loud noise on Saturday nights/Sunday am, including people screaming at the top of their lungs like they are high on drugs. Last night we saw several people who were too drunk to walk, get in cars to drive home. In the morning, we found bloody rags littered on the street. The cops showed up at 4am, ushered people into cars, but that was it. This seems to be a regular Saturday night event at this place and I was wondering if this is on the Town Watch’s radar.
May 7th, 2012 at 8:08 am
Its a catering hall. From what I’ve heard, most of the rowdy parties that spill out it are weddings. Years ago it was an African grocery store/small cafe/Western Union office for sending money home. Oh and the owner fixed old copy machines so it was also full of copy machines. Then he hit being a catering hall.
Not that drunks leaving a wedding are not obnoxious to neighbors, or that a catering hall can’t do a better job of managing how its customers impact the neighborhood. But its more likely high on cheap champagne.
May 7th, 2012 at 8:48 am
It seems like the space is more than a catering hall for weddings, but rather is serving as an informal club. This is the event from Saturday May 5, 2012:
http://a0.twimg.com/profile_images/2156569108/318197_3647362630323_1462153853_3197341_856097428_n.jpg
And this upcoming event:
http://radiowestindies.com/?ai1ec_event=sexy-lingerie-party&instance_id=
My questions are:
1. Does the center have permits to operate these kinds of parties?
2. How do we work with the center to create a space that includes a diversity of uses but respects that this is a residential neighborhood?
May 7th, 2012 at 10:41 am
Report nuisance liquor licensed establishments by May 7th
I live on 50th Street in between Springfield and Warrington and this has been a problem for awhile. Patty Bulack of the 48th Street group posted an email where you can report this problem. I already have and I encourage you and anyone else to let the authorities know that we have had it with this nuisance business.
PPD.18_PSA3@phila.gov
Lt. Brian H. Sprowal
May 7th, 2012 at 11:53 am
Report violations to the state Liquor Control Enforcement as well: http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/hide_-_liquor_control_enforcement/5900/reporting_violations/511662
May 7th, 2012 at 12:32 pm
Thanks for the info. I have reported the place to both emails listed above. The parties at this place have kept me and my family up many nights. So sick of it.
May 7th, 2012 at 1:20 pm
Does anyone know the law about catering halls and liquor? Typically the building owner does not have a liquor license or serve the liquor, but if they are selling drinks at a “club night” you might get Liquor Control interested. They seem kind of pathetic at enforcement, except for raiding Local 44 over what turned out to be a non-issue.
I’d stick with local police as your best bet.
May 7th, 2012 at 1:28 pm
Also you might try notifying Blackwell, Marty Cabry, as well as the DA’s Nuisance Task Force as well as police and include links to the flyers for club nights. The licences to be a “dance club” open to the public and to be a catering hall for closed private events are totally different and can eventually get L&I to close them down.
http://www.phila.gov/districtattorney/community_PublicNuisance.html
May 7th, 2012 at 2:14 pm
There is a Catering Club license that I think may apply to this type of establishment and there aren’t any Catering Club places in all of the 19143.
May 19th, 2012 at 12:45 pm
Has anyone heard anything or gotten a response from the above resources about the complaints towards the African Cultural Center?
I called 911 3 times last Saturday night with a noise complaint and it did not seem to work. Anyone else?
Looks like there is a Lingerie party tonight!
Great…
http://radiowestindies.com/?ai1ec_event=sexy-lingerie-party&instance_id
May 19th, 2012 at 12:57 pm
I went to the 18th police district community meeting at Calvary Church this past Thurs. The police suggested calling the 12th district community relations officer at 215-386-3120 and letting him know about the place. Also call L and I to make a complaint and keep calling 911 when they have parties. I am not looking to the sexy lingerie event.
May 19th, 2012 at 1:08 pm
Thanks for the other resource, I will call them. It would be nice to know if anything has been done or if any authorities have looked into this place.
May 19th, 2012 at 4:39 pm
I emailed the council woman, but did not get response. It really is frustrating.
May 20th, 2012 at 10:38 pm
Phone calls are best when it comes to public officials. –Your Local Community Organizer
May 31st, 2012 at 9:29 am
12th District meeting and Issues at the African Cultural Center
I urge anyone with issues regarding events at the African Cultural Center
(50th & Springfield) to attend the upcoming 12th Police District PSA#4
meeting, which will begin at 6:30pm tomorrow (Thursday 5/31) at the 12th
Police district, (65th & Woodland) and voice your opinion to police. Over
the past several months a number of folks have been consistently calling
police, the PA Liquor Control Board, and the DA’s Nuisance Task Force
regarding late-night events, noise, public urination etc at the property,
and it appears to be working insofar as we have their attention. There are
events advertised at the center most weekends throughout the summer, so our
work at getting a response/action from the owner and city officials on
whether or not they have the proper permits, liquor license etc, is only
just beginning.