FOR IMMEDIATE PRESS RELEASE- January 12, 2009

BLRPD Traffic Unit Back in Action Again

Starting today, Upper Macungie is a safer place to drive. For those who choose to break the law by speeding and driving aggressively, however, Upper Macungie will be the last place they want to be.

Today marks the day that the Berks-Lehigh Regional Police Department’s Traffic Enforcement Unit becomes fully staffed once again. The original four-man unit, which was highly successful due to its aggressive enforcement and traffic accident investigation skills, was reduced to one officer in 2007 due to staffing level concerns in the patrol division. However, Upper Macungie Township Supervisors Edward Earley, Kathy Rader and Samir Ashmar, along with Chief Michael Weiser, agreed that the traffic unit was an extremely vital part of the police department, and therefore agreed to hire three additional officers to bring the unit back to full force. The new unit consists of Officers Cory Reader and Adam Woodruff, who were both members of the original unit. In addition, Officers Dathan Schlegel and Stephen Marshall have been added. Together, these four officers issued over 1600 citations in 2008, as well as completed hundreds of minor and major accident investigations.

“The most exciting part of this new unit is the ability of the traffic division to spread out into Upper Macungie’s residential districts,” stated Chief of Police Michael Weiser. “In addition to strengthening our patrols of our major state routes, including the 222/100 bypass, Tilghman Street, and Rt. 100, we will be able to gradually increase our presence into the neighborhoods where high speeds continue to be a major concern.” Chief Weiser, whose recently announced the department’s 2009 motto of “Community First,” emphasized that the safety of Upper Macungie’s neighborhoods are one of his top priorities, and according to Weiser, “that starts with highly visible patrols and aggressive enforcement of traffic laws, especially speeding.”

On the first day of the BLRPD Traffic Unit being back to full force, one unlucky Allentown resident was the first to discover that the unit means business. After a seven mile chase that included several high speed trips through a residential crime watch zone, the suspended driver was eventually surrounded by numerous patrol vehicles and taken into custody.






Officer Peter V. Nickischer
Public Information Officer
Berks-Lehigh Regional Police
610-683-8740 ext. 225

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Save On Your Utilities

Lower thermostats to 65-68 degrees during the day and 60 degrees at night.
Have your furnace serviced once a year.
Consider the advantages of a clock thermostat which will automatically turn the heat down at a regular hour before you retire and turn it up just before you awake.
Dust and vacuum radiators & ducts frequently.
Keep drapes and shades open in sunny windows; close at night.
For comfort in cooler indoor temperatures, use best insulation of all - warm clothing.
Caulk and weatherstrip doors & windows.
Install storm windows & doors.
Insulate attic & walls.
Use bath and kitchen ventilating fans only as needed.
Be sure the fireplace damper is closed except when in use.
Repair all leaky hot water faucets as quickly as possible.
Insulate hot water pipes.
Use less hot water reduce temperature to 120 degrees.
Close doors and registers of rooms which are seldom used.
If you are going away for a weekend trip, lower the thermostat to 55 degrees.
Turn off electric lights and other appliances when not in use.
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