The increase in violent crime in Coatesville last night caused city council to break down in an emotional display of frustration with Council Member Robin Scott tearfully admitting she no longer knew what to do.

"I never thought I would see it, but I actually saw a mother coach her son to beat up another boy," said Scott, pushing away the tears. "It's really frustrating when you see things and you don't know how to handle it . . . it's so overwhelming."

Last night was the first council meeting since the execution-style murder of Shonate Peterson, 21, and Carnell Parker, 24, inside Parker's home on Charles Street.

"Something is seriously wrong with the city . . . I don't know what to say anymore," said Council Member Ed Simpson who represents the West End where the murders occurred.

Said Council Member Marty Eggleston: "There was a time when people lived in this city who would not tolerate this mess."

Council Vice President Kareem Johnson called for making the young accountable to the curfew. "Lot of the crime in the city is directly related to the youth, but not all of it," he said.

Johnson suggested that residents turn on their outside lights and leave them on all night, every night because "Coatesville is in such a state of disarray."

Eggleston said he refused to be held hostage in his own home. "Number one I'm confrontational and number two I'm big and confrontational." A former pro basketball player Eggleston stands 7 feet tall.

Simpson said everyone must get involved, despite how minor the violation might be. "When I leave here and see a car parked against the flow of traffic, I'm going to call 911. Every time I hear a firecracker go off, I'm going to call 911. Everyone has to the same thing," he said.

Scott, too, said a disregard for such simple things as traffic laws angered her. "People are so disrespectful in this city," she said.

Johnson, Eggleston, Simpson and Scott were the only council members present last night. They made their comments at the end of the meeting and after City Police Chief William Matthews announced police were taking a zero tolerance attitude toward violent crime and drug trafficking.

"We need to get our arms around the violent crime," he said.

Two weeks ago members of the city's Hispanic community told council they were being targeted by street thugs. One woman explained how street thugs invaded a family's apartment and held guns to their heads while ransacking the apartment in search of money.