At the January 13, 2021, Newtown Board of Supervisors meeting township resident Frank McCarron made a case for increased diversity in the Newtown Police Department (NTPD). Currently, all 29 or so NTPD police officers are white. Mr. McCarron suggested that all 3 officers that are planned to be hired in 2021 be officers of color.
The following audio clip from the Zoom meeting includes his comments and Chief John Hearn's response when asked by Supervisor David Oxley to respond.
Mr. McCarron suggested that the racial profile of the NTPD should match that of the township population, which is mostly white.
However, another argument could be made that the NTPD racial profile match that of the targets of the majority of NTPD's actions: Traffic violations. The NTPD make many traffic stops on major roads - Newtown Bypass, Swamp Rd, and Stoopville Rd - that have a lot of non-resident traffic. We don't know the racial profile of that group because that information is not collected by NTPD.
The following audio clip from the Zoom meeting includes his comments and Chief John Hearn's response when asked by Supervisor David Oxley to respond.
Mr. McCarron suggested that the racial profile of the NTPD should match that of the township population, which is mostly white.
However, another argument could be made that the NTPD racial profile match that of the targets of the majority of NTPD's actions: Traffic violations. The NTPD make many traffic stops on major roads - Newtown Bypass, Swamp Rd, and Stoopville Rd - that have a lot of non-resident traffic. We don't know the racial profile of that group because that information is not collected by NTPD.
It should go without saying that whoever is hired should be qualified.
This survey asks your opinion of increasing diversity in the NTPD. No identifying information is collected via this survey unless you opt-in to provide such information for purposes of follow-up by subscribing to John Mack's email newsletter. After completing the survey, you will be able to see a de-identified summary of the results to date.
DISCLAIMER: This is not an official Newtown Township approved survey. Its purpose is solely to inform John Mack – a Newtown Supervisor – of the public’s opinion regarding this issue.
IMPORTANT NOTICE
I inform my colleagues on the Board of Supervisors (BOS) of my survey results*, but the best way of making YOUR opinions count is to contact members of the BOS directly via email (or snail mail to 100 Municipal Drive, Newtown, PA 18940). Here are the official email addresses of BOS members:
Phil Calabro (Chair): philc@newtownpa.gov
Dennis Fisher (Vice Chair): dennisf@newtownpa.gov
John Mack (Ass't Secretary/Treasurer): johnm@newtownpa.gov
Kyle Davis (Member): kyled@newtownpa.gov
David Oxley (Member): davido@newtownpa.gov
*Some BOS members do not agree that resident surveys should play any role in the decisions they make even though many consultants we hire perform surveys of residents. Therefore, it is important that after taking my survey that you send a copy of your responses - including comments - to every BOS member. Include your full name and address to ensure that your input is official.
This survey asks your opinion of increasing diversity in the NTPD. No identifying information is collected via this survey unless you opt-in to provide such information for purposes of follow-up by subscribing to John Mack's email newsletter. After completing the survey, you will be able to see a de-identified summary of the results to date.
DISCLAIMER: This is not an official Newtown Township approved survey. Its purpose is solely to inform John Mack – a Newtown Supervisor – of the public’s opinion regarding this issue.
IMPORTANT NOTICE
I inform my colleagues on the Board of Supervisors (BOS) of my survey results*, but the best way of making YOUR opinions count is to contact members of the BOS directly via email (or snail mail to 100 Municipal Drive, Newtown, PA 18940). Here are the official email addresses of BOS members:
Phil Calabro (Chair): philc@newtownpa.gov
Dennis Fisher (Vice Chair): dennisf@newtownpa.gov
John Mack (Ass't Secretary/Treasurer): johnm@newtownpa.gov
Kyle Davis (Member): kyled@newtownpa.gov
David Oxley (Member): davido@newtownpa.gov
*Some BOS members do not agree that resident surveys should play any role in the decisions they make even though many consultants we hire perform surveys of residents. Therefore, it is important that after taking my survey that you send a copy of your responses - including comments - to every BOS member. Include your full name and address to ensure that your input is official.