Surveillance cameras, curfews for those on probation, increasing funding for the police department, and requiring parents to take responsibility for their children were some of the issues touched upon last night at a public form on Coatesville's violent street crime.

The forum was organized by Council Member Marty Eggleston in cooperation with District Attorney Joe Carroll who recently bought a home in the Fifth Ward near the Set Free by the Word Ministries church at 827 E. Lincoln Hwy. where the forum was held. More than 100 people attended, including several county officials.

Despite past differences, Carroll and city Police Chief William Matthews last night presented a united front in the city's battle to win back its streets from armed, street thugs. "Everything I have asked for the DA has provided," said Matthews. Carroll has been extremely critical of Matthew's failure to obtain Act 120 certification, basic police training mandated by the state.

Carroll said his office has already spent $20,000 in overtime related to the investigation of the execution style murder of Carnell Parker, 24, and his girlfriend, Shontae Peterson, 21, in their home on Charles Street. This summer there have been seven shooting incidents in Coatesville.

Last night Carroll said the police department was understaffed. "We need more police officers even if city has to dip into its water authority fund," he said, adding that revitalization won't happen until after a solution to the violent crime is found.

Carroll's remarks come a day after City Manager Harry Walker said county officials should stop criticizing city expenditures and start sending money to pay the city for policing the county's criminal element. At Monday night's council meeting, Walker read a three-page statement in which he blamed much of the city's problems on a county housing policy that made Coatesville the dumping ground for the poor. Walker did not attend last night's meeting.

Carroll said last night he didn't believe Section 8 housing subsidizes were the cause. "That has not been my experience. Crime is not going to go away by just stopping Section 8," he said. Instead, he said, "It's a two part problem: law enforcement and community."

But Eggleston disagreed. He said Section 8 housing becomes a problem when 50 percent of it is located in Coatesville. "If you go to the county prison and grab three people, one of them is going to be from Coatesville," he said.

Carroll said the uncertainty caused by threat of police layoffs due to budget shortfalls last year caused a lot of experienced city police officers to seek employment elsewhere. This year the city hired 10 police officers, bringing the department up to its full compliment of 34 officers.

However, Carroll said there were several months when the department was woefully understaffed. Carroll, too, called for bringing back to duty Lt. Matt Gordon who was placed on administrative leave by Matthews. "He (Gordon) has been sitting at home for 10 months collecting his pay. If they (the city) had a reason to fire him they would have fired him by now," Carroll said.

Carroll said he is assigning an assistant district attorney to the city police department for 20 to 20 hours a week because there are so many new officers.

Carroll proposed putting surveillance cameras in city parks and at key intersections. "I'm not really interested about what somebody does on their own property," he said, "but giving me a view of the intersections can tell me what is happening farther down the street."

Matthews agreed with surveillance cameras. He also supported a proposal by Carroll that would require those on probation or parole for a violent or drug-related conviction be placed on a 1 a.m. curfew for a year. "I really don't want you on the street after 1.am. if you've been convicted of a violent crime," said Carroll.

"The question I keep getting asked," said Matthews, "is who is doing it." He said he answers: "Our children are doing the shooting. Who is dealing drugs? Our children. Who is fighting on the streets? Our children."

Those children, he said, are being used by career criminals who want to avoid doing heavy jail time. "We got to get the career criminals out of this city. There is no easy way to do it. There is no gentle or polite way to do it," he said. "We have to do it block by block, neighborhood by neighborhood. We are facing a career criminal who is setting up shop here because they think it's easy pickings."

He said there was a time when an adult went to a parent and complained about their child there was no questions asked if the child did it. "Now we have the reverse. We have parents who will actually encourage their children to go out on the street and fight," he said.

"A number of times parents have sat down in my office and incredulously denied what their children are doing," he said. At one point Matthews suggested that instead of fining parents for curfew violations they should be sentenced to spend time with their children. "There comes a time when you have to step up and face reality," he said.

Matthews also said the city is exploring the use of auxiliary or part-time police officers. "We got to find a way to get strong when we need to be strong," he said.

Both Carroll and Matthews agreed that a Town Watch program starting up in the West End section of the city is a move in the right direction. Said Carroll: "I'm willing to fund it but I want some control over how the money is spent." In the past Carroll has expressed concern that money provided to the city by the district attorney's office was misdirected from its intended purpose and used to make up police budget shortfalls.

Matthews said the police will be soon setting up a sub station at the train station at Third Avenue and Fleetwood Street.

Eggleston said he hope last night's forum was the beginning of the end of violent crime. Said Matthews: "I can see light at the end of the tunnel."