Thefts From Vehicles, Assault Involving Juveniles: Newtown Borough Police Report

NEWTOWN BOROUGH, PA — A mid-August crime spree spilled into the borough with several vehicles entered on Chancellor Street and Elm Avenue.

“Newtown Township and Lower Makefield had numerous cars entered,” reported Chief James Sabath during his monthly police report to council this week. “We encourage residents to lock their cars at night. The (criminals) are not breaking into cars. They’re simply looking for cars that are unlocked and rifling through the glove compartments seeing what they can find.”

In other reports, Sabath said a 61-year-old Newtown Borough man was arrested after he was found passed out on Court Street. The man was transported to St. Mary Medical Center for severe intoxication and was later cited.

The Chief also reported an incident involving juveniles that began with egging homes on Frost Lane and led to an assault involving several juveniles.

During the month, Sabath said the department answered 254 calls for service.

“We continued with our aggressive driving campaign, which began in July and continued through mid-August. For the month, we conducted 130 traffic stops, which resulted in 33 warnings and 97 citations, the majority for speeding and red light violations.

The Chief also reported four traffic accidents happened during the month, with one resulting in injuries.

The three-car pileup happened on Washington Avenue when a driver was stopping for a pedestrian, and the driver two cars behind did not see the vehicle stopping, and a chain reaction accident occurred.

An 18-year-old woman from Warminster was taken to St. Mary Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries.

Looking ahead, Sabath announced that on Sept. 29, the police department will pause to remember Officer Brian Gregg, who was gunned down 20 years ago in the emergency department at St. Mary Medical Center.

A graveside service will be held at 9 a.m. at the Newtown Cemetery to commemorate his passing, his life and his service to the community.

The department will further honor Gregg when it holds its first Turkey Trot 5K Run on Thanksgiving Day. Proceeds from the event will be donated to the Bucks County Heroes Scholarship Fund in Gregg’s memory,

Officer Gregg had just started as a full-time officer after serving as a part-time officer when tragedy struck.

He was shot and killed on Sept. 29, 2005 after a prisoner was able to gain possession of his partner's service weapon.

The 46-year-old officer and his partner were guarding a suspect who had been arrested earlier in the evening for drunk driving and had been taken to the hospital to undergo blood and urine tests.

Gregg was born in Bristol and grew up in Levittown. He was a graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School (Harry S Truman High School), the Bucks County Community College, Ferris State University and the Middlesex Fire Academy.

For 15 years, Gregg worked as a contractor and owned his own business in the area. He then pursued his ambition to become a police officer, graduating from the Temple University Police Academy in 2002.

Gregg was hired as a part-time officer with Newtown Borough in 2003. He was later hired as a full-time officer in October 2004.