Pottstown Police Working to Solve Slew of Local Robberies

In response to the six local robberies that took place in a 20-day period, Police Chief Richard Drumheller of the Pottstown police department said that they are actively “doing a rash of things to try and solve the problem,” according to The Mercury.

Police are working to prevent more robberies. “Obviously we have someone out there right now that is robbing our community and that is extremely unnerving for the residents and we understand that,” said Drumheller.

The chief indicated that the department are doing directed patrols and are working with data to apprehend the suspects. They are also looking into the possibility that robberies were committed by people who do not live in Pottstown.

Chief Drumheller and his colleague Captain Robert Thomas indicated that the six robberies, which involved theft of commercial institutions like banks and stores, do not indicate that there will be an increase in robberies that involve a home invasion.

“The robberies, do not equate to burglaries,” Thomas said. “If you look at the target of a robbery, it is cash. That doesn’t equate to burglary. Burglary is about getting in and taking stuff, which you can turn into cash. The goal as the person committing one crime is not the same goal as the person committing another.”

Thomas said that residents can help free up police department manpower by making sure that residents lock their own car doors.

“There are a lot of man-hours being spent on thefts from vehicles,” Thomas said. “There was one instance over the summer where a car was forcibly entered by breaking a window. Everybody else was pulling car door handles and they were open.”

Chief Drumheller also encouraged the public to call police if they see anything strange, or something that is out of place.

Here are the six robberies that occurred around the Pottstown area:

-On Aug. 30 Christopher Lee Blount allegedly robbed the National Penn Bank at 377 East High Street in Pottstown. On Sept. 17 police caught Blount soon after his alleged other robbery from earlier that day. He was charged with robbery, receiving stolen property, theft and related charges.

-On Sept. 12, a man robbed a 7-Eleven convenience store in Stowe at 1057 West High Street in Stowe after 9:30 p.m. The suspect was armed, according to West Pottsgrove police.

-On Sept. 13, a man allegedly tried to rob a Brickhouse employee who was leaving the Pottstown establishment around 12:20 a.m. The same man allegedly tried to rob the McDonald’s at 1428 East High Street in Pottstown at approximately 4:30 a.m. An employee was hurt while the robbery occurred.   

-On Sept. 17, the Gulf Gas Station at 615 E. High St. was robbed around 10 p.m.