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Coatesville arsons confront 'no-snitch' ethos

For decades, an anti-snitching mentality has hampered law enforcement in Coatesville, but the code of silence may not be fireproof.

For decades, an anti-snitching mentality has hampered law enforcement in Coatesville, but the code of silence may not be fireproof.

The string of arsons plaguing the once-thriving steel town in Chester County - 44 fires set in the last 13 months - may be prompting some people to think twice about their reluctance to cooperate with authorities.

John Hageman of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, a spokesman for the task force investigating the fires, said: "The number of tips we have received is encouraging."

Hageman said the task force, drawn from federal, state, county, and local law-enforcement personnel, would like even more calls.

City Councilman Ed Simpson said he believed the enormity of the arson outbreak had diminished the reluctance of residents to report suspicious activity. "I don't think [the no-snitching code] is a factor," he said.

Still, old ways die hard.

"I know there are some people who feel, no matter what, they're not going to talk to law enforcement," Coatesville City Councilman Kareem Johnson said. "That mentality is so ingrained."

Some residents, who declined to identify themselves, said not even the $20,000 in reward money from the Coatesville Arson Task Force would motivate them to cooperate with police. One older woman said that she believed her grandson had information, but proudly added that he wouldn't tell the police.

The code of silence has a long history in Coatesville.

Shootings in crowded locales often produce no witnesses, and those who do come forward frequently recant their testimony.

So widespread was the no-snitching mentality that Chester County District Attorney Joseph W. Carroll addressed it at a 2006 news conference.

"The 'stop snitching' mentality expressed on shirts and videos produced right here in Coatesville hurts this city," Carroll said at the time.

Carroll's message to Coatesville was that identifying criminals "is not snitching. It is an honorable thing to do to protect your community, and ultimately your own friends and family."

When evidence in several Coatesville cases indicated that witnesses who had changed their stories were lying, Carroll prosecuted them for perjury and got convictions.

Still, the pattern of noncooperation persisted.

At an August City Council meeting, Police Chief William P. Matthews linked the decline in arrests for violent crimes in part to the impact of the "don't snitch" mentality. He suggested one way to combat that problem: neighborhood watches, an effort that remains in the planning stages.

Officials aren't ready yet to say whether concern over the arson spree, which has left many city residents afraid to go to sleep at night, has cracked the code of silence for good.

Carroll said this week that questions about the impact of the anti-snitching ethos "can't really be answered with any certainty until we find out who's responsible and what evidence people may have had but failed to volunteer."

Johnson, the City Council member, agreed that it was difficult to know whether the anti-snitching ethos was impeding investigators. But he said that one of the goals of a unification rally today by Coatesville Men United, an anti-violence group to which he belonged, was to alter that thinking.

"We want to break down as many of the barriers to providing information as possible," he said.

Hageman said the difficulty of solving arson made it important that people shared what they knew with authorities.

Evidence often is destroyed in the arson fires, which typically occur at night, when eyewitnesses are few. Motives can range from financial need to emotional instability, making it difficult for investigators to understand the pathology, Hageman said.

"There's more than just the fire-setter who knows what's going on," Hageman said, asserting that tipsters could remain anonymous. "We need people with information to come forward."

Coatesville Relief

Nearly $80,000 has been donated to the Coatesville Fire Victims fund through Citadel Bank, Chester County officials said. Clothing donations have exceeded the required amount, and furniture donations are on hold until storage can be obtained.

Assistance is being coordinated by the following groups:

The Community, Youth and Women's Alliance (CYWA) in Coatesville is spearheading services for arson victims, some of whom still need permanent housing. Landlords with vacancies in the Coatesville, Thorndale, Downingtown and Valley Township areas may contact Mimi Wealer at the CYWA, 610-384-9591.

Building Bridges is providing direct case management to families and is coordinating services with CYWA. Call Heather Smith, 610-429-3033.

Citadel Federal Credit Union is accepting monetary donations at 3030 Zinn Rd., Thorndale, Pa., 19372. Donors should specify the relief or reward fund. The phone number is 610-380-6000.

Coatesville Food Cupboard is receiving food donations at 1001 E. Chestnut St., Coatesville. Contact Doris or Elsie Spann at 610-383-6577.

The Crime Victims' Center of Chester County is assisting with counseling and workshops for adults and school-age children. For dates and times, call 610-692-7420.

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Arson Reward

A $20,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the conviction of whoever is responsible for the Coatesville arsons. The phone number, staffed 24 hours a day, is 484-356-6109.

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