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CHESTER COUNTY PRESS
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 2018
O’Neill receives award for outstanding police service By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer Jeremy O’Neill, an officer with the Southern Chester County Regional Police Department, received the 2017 Commissioners Award as officer of the year, at the regional department’s annual awards and recognition ceremony on March 8. The award, previously known as the Chief Gerald W. Davis Award, honors an officer for his or her conspicuous and exceptional work during the past year. It was the first awards ceremony for the department, which formed on Jan. 1, 2017. Reading from two letters he received that nominated O’Neill for the award, Police Chief Gerald Simpson praised O’Neill for his work on DUI enforcement in 2017, when he made 27 arrests and three saves from the use of Narcan, a safe and affect antidote for opioid overdoses. “Officer O’Neill is never hesitant to act when lives are in danger,” Simpson read. “He has taken actions to provide patients who have experienced overdose. He has striven to better himself as an officer while taking steps to become a more able instructor. He showed dedication safety and proficiency with the
Photo by Richard L. Gaw
Jeremy O’Neill, an officer with the Southern Chester County Regional Police Department, was awarded the 2017 Commissioners Award as officer of the year, at the regional department’s annual awards and recognition ceremony on March 8. Pictured with O’Neill is his father, Harry O’Neill, Jr., and his grandparents, Joan and Harry O’Neill, Sr.
officers with whom he works.” The event, which preceded the police department’s Public Safety Commissioners’ meeting, also included the swearing in of two new officers, P.O. David Madonna, P.O. Stephen Syska and P.O. Gregory Blue, by the Hon. Matthew Seavey. 2017 DUI enforcement awards were presented to P.O. Benjamin Brown, P.O. 1st Class P.O. Joseph
Cooper, P.O. Matthew Cordone, P.O. Stephen Madonna, O’Neill, P.O. Raymond Sullivan, Syska and Cpl. Jason Ward. In total, these officers issued 107 DUI arrests in 2017. “No doubt, through their actions, they saved many lives,” said Simpson. “In fact, I’m here to tell you that they saved a minimum of 107 lives in 2017. Imagine if I were here tonight to tell you that under the regional police
department’s jurisdiction, 107 people were killed in 2017. I would probably be looking for a new job, is what I would imagine. “One common theme emerges that sets these officers apart. Their actions were pro-active and by design. At the conclusion of this ceremony, this audience will agree with me that these men may have saved at least 107 lives, but honestly, who knows how many lives
could have been adversely affected without the actions of these guardians?” The ceremony also included an invocation by police chaplain Annalie Korengel, and opening remarks by Steve Allaband, the chairperson for the Public Safety Commission. “Our men and women in uniform go above and beyond the call of duty every day, They are always held to the highest
standards,” Allaband said. “They put their lives at risk for our safety and welfare, and for this they deserve to be acknowledged, appreciated and respected.” Allaband reviewed the core values of the department, which include integrity, justice, duty and the preservation of human life. To contact Staff Writer Richard L. Gaw, email rgaw@chestercounty.com.
The winning team from Bishop Shanahan High School poses with their coach after the award ceremony.
Local schools take part in STEM challenge Chester County high school students skilled in science, technology, engineering and math competed in this year’s regional Governor’s STEM competition on Feb. 6 at the Chester County Intermediate Unit. Participating teams included Bishop Shanahan High School, Coatesville Area Senior High School, Oxford Area High School, and Technical College
High School Pickering Campus. This year, Bishop Shanahan High School finished on top, with Oxford Area High School coming in a close second, and Coatesville Area Senior High School securing third. The title of the winning proposal was “DOORA.” The project was created to automatically open doors in response to a fire, allowing firefighters the ability to
enter the building more quickly. The team was inspired to invent DOORA after the Nov. 2017 fivealarm blaze at the Barclay Friends Nursing Home in West Chester. “We saw just how quickly that fire spread throughout the building. In the event of a fire, even the smallest amount of time can make a life-saving difference,” teammate Brendan Manning explained.
Participating teams of students from the Chester County area, including Bishop Shanahan High School, were asked to select an issue, conduct research, design, construct and finally present a prototype that would be able to ensure a better quality of life for residents of Pennsylvania. Students were provided with a $500 stipend to aid in their mission. This year’s theme was “Improving
Pennsylvania Through STEM.” During the weeks of preparation for the competition, students collaborated with mentors from local companies to educate themselves about STEM careers and to aid them in their research and application. The students then presented their prototype and findings to a panel of judges who graded the presentations based on
a statewide rubric. Bishop Shanahan High School student Alana Pappas said, “We worked incredibly well as a team, we collaborated and bounced ideas off of each other.” As the Chester County winners, the Bishop Shanahan High School students will advance to the state competition with an additional $750 stipend to improve their prototype.
CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CHARGES Last week, Pennsylvania State Police Avondale reported additional details on the charges facing Robert Dean Caesar, of Oxford. After a search of electronic devices at
Caesar’s home on Street Road in Lower Oxford Township, police found 23,000 child pornography images and videos. Other devices are being searched. Additional charges were filed against Caesar, who is in Chester County Prison, awaiting a hearing on child abuse and rape charges. INDECENT ASSAULT On Feb. 28, Kennett Square Police arrested
Juan Carlos Navarro, Sr., 61, of Kennett Square, for five counts of indecent assault, endangering the welfare of children and corruption of minors. He was arraigned and released after paying bail of 5 percent of $150,000. TRUCK STOLEN Sometime between 6:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Feb. 8, a 1999 GMC truck, gold/ tan, with Pennsylvania registration JPZ0660 was
stolen from the 300 block of East Maple Alley in Kennett Square, according to police. The investigation is continuing. WALLET STOLEN Kennett Square Police reported that sometime between 11:15 and 11:30 a.m. on Feb. 12, a wallet containing an ID, credit card, debit card, Medicaid card and $100 in cash was stolen from a business in the 200 block of South
Washington Street in Kennett Square. DUI, IDENTITY THEFT Kennett Square Police arrested Denis Garcia, 31, of Oxford, for DUI after a traffic stop on Feb. 19 at 1:13 a.m. in the 100 block of East Cedar Street. He was arraigned and released. A passenger in his vehicle, Eric Turcios-Rodriguez, 22, of Accomac, Va., was found
to have an outstanding warrant out of the Chester County District Attorney’s office and was taken to Chester County Prison. Another passenger, Pedro Aguilar-Alantar, 22, of Kennett Square, gave a false name to police and was charged with identity theft and falsification to law enforcement. Bail was set at $500 cash. Unable to post bail, he was taken to Chester County Prison.