Busy First Month For Upper Macungie Police

January was a busy month for the newly-formed Upper Macungie Police Department, as officers responded to 724 total incidents.

Police Chief Edgardo Colon called the department's first full month of operation "great, but extremely busy."

Colon said the force was operable, able to handle calls, and patrol to keep the Upper Macungie area safe.

"A lot of it was routine, and we are active and involved and out there, engaged in the community," Colon said.

One of the highlights of the month, Colon said, was the payoff of routine police patrolling during the holdup of Redner's Market in Trexlertown.

Colon credited Officer Stephen Kress with excellent work, as he saw a man with a hoodie action suspiciously in the early morning hours of Jan. 22. Colon said Kress pusued, stopped and apprehended the man before the 911 call of a robbery at the market.

"Patrolling and keeping the community safe results in the reduction of crime," he said.

Colon said the actions of the department have been well received by residents.

"We're committed to service and have had a lot of positive feedback," he said. "You want to see a better, safer community. The way we've been seen by the community is good, from the reports I've heard."

Personally, it's been a busy month for Colon, as he continues to put policies and procedures in place for the department.

"Myself and my management team are busy with administrative matters," he said. "I think that I'm fairly organized, but it's not an overnight process. It takes six months to a year to get all of the policies an procedures in place."