Murder Rate Skyrockets in Chester, PA where 73.99% of the population is African American

[The Bobster]

Chester police working 12-hour shifts in response to officer shortage

Police in Chester, Delaware County, are now offering 12-hour shifts amid what the department calls a critical shortage of officers.

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Chester police working 12-hour shifts in response to officer shortage​

By Madeleine Wright

July 30, 2024 / 6:48 PM EDT / CBS Philadelphia

CHESTER, Pa. (CBS) — The Chester Police Department is dealing with what it calls a critical shortage of officers. The department is down 25 officers, which is bad timing because crime tends to spike in the summer, according to officials.

Chester Police Commissioner Steven Gretsky said the department is now offering 12-hour shifts so more officers can be out on the streets.

"I put a survey out," Gretsky said. "Eighty percent of the officers — I think it's important that the rank-and-file voice their opinion — they voted for the 12-hour shifts."

The county is also taking steps to address the shortage. Twelve Delaware County Park police officers are now guarding the inmates at Chester jails so that more Chester police officers can be out patrolling the city.

Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer said it's part of the Summer 2024 Safe Streets program, which started in mid-July.




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"[It] benefits both the folks in the neighborhoods because they get to see more police officers protect them," Stollsteimer said, "but also to the Chester police officers themselves because now they have more backup."
Some Chester residents said they think the solutions will work.
"If you put a cop out here," Tony Ennamorato said, "you stop crime. Nobody wants to go to jail."
Gretsky said his department is ramping up recruitment efforts, but finding new officers has been a struggle, in part because of the pay rate.


The starting salary for a Chester police officer is $50,000. For Middletown Township police, it's $52,000. For Marple Township police, it's $71,000. For Haverford Township police, it's $76,000, and for Newtown Township police, it's $104,000.
"I feel like they [Chester police] need to hire more people," Chester resident Michael Mills said. "I'll take the job if that helps. I love my city."
Despite the challenges, Gretsky is confident he'll get his department up to full staff, which is 92 officers.
"We have 26 possible applicants we'll be testing in the next two weeks, which has been our biggest recruitment class for the last few years," he said.
David Johnson Sr. said he would like to see more officers on the streets so no other parent has to know the pain of losing a child. His 17-year-old son Zaheem Sabree, a football player at Chester High School, was shot in the head on June 30 while walking outside a pizza shop. He died at the hospital the next day.
"I've got a hole in my heart right now," Johnson said. "I'm ain't never going to be all right."

 

[The Bobster]

Quadruple shooting in Chester leaves one dead, police say

Police in Chester, Delaware County are investigating a quadruple shooting that left one person dead late Saturday night.

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Quadruple shooting in Chester leaves one dead, police say​

By Alexandra Simon

Updated on: August 25, 2024 / 8:37 AM EDT / CBS Philadelphia

CHESTER, Pa. (CBS) -- Police in Chester, Delaware County are investigating a quadruple shooting that left one man dead late Saturday night.

According to Chester Police Commissioner Steven Gretsky, the shooting happened just before midnight on Aug. 24 near MacDonald and Butler streets.

Police said all four victims were adult males, and one person was pronounced dead at the scene. The three other victims were taken to a local hospital, where two are in stable condition and one man is considered critical after being shot in the head, Gretsky said.

Police are actively looking for any witnesses or videos that captured the shooting.

 

[The Bobster]

Man arrested in shooting death of Chester High School football player, police say

Jesse Allen Jr. was charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of Chester High School football player Zaheem Sabree.

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Man arrested in shooting death of Chester High School football player, police say​

By Tom Ignudo

January 21, 2025 / 7:39 PM EST / CBS Philadelphia

An 18-year-old man was arrested in the fatal shooting of a Chester High School football player in 2024, police said on Tuesday.

Last Thursday, police said Jesse Allen Jr. was charged with first-degree murder and related offenses in the shooting death of 17-year-old Zaheem Sabree. Allen Jr. was taken to George W. Hill Correctional Facility in Glen Mills, Delaware County, with no bail, according to police.

Sabree, who was entering his senior year, was shot in the head and killed on the 100 block of East 24th Street on June 30, 2024. He was taken to a local hospital and pronounced dead, police said.

After the shooting, the Chester Upland School District released a statement saying that Sabree was a "dedicated and loved member of CUSD's High School football program since his sophomore year."

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends during this heartbreaking and difficult time," the statement from the district read in part. "The shocking passing of Zaheem is a major loss for our school community and affects everyone from classmates to teachers who had the privilege of knowing him. His dedication and spirit as a member of our High School football program is irreplaceable and he will be missed by his teammates and coaches, who remember him not just as a player, but as a friend on and off the field."

 

[The Bobster]

Teen dead, 4 hurt in shooting in Chester, Pennsylvania as gunfire strikes neighboring homes

Police in Chester, Pennsylvania are investigating a shooting that killed a teenager and sent four people to local hospitals.

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Teen dead, 4 hurt in shooting in Chester, Pennsylvania as gunfire strikes neighboring homes​

By
Joe Brandt

Updated on: May 24, 2025 / 10:42 AM EDT / CBS Philadelphia

One person was killed and four people were injured in a shooting Friday night in Chester, Pennsylvania, police said Saturday.

The shooting happened near 10th and Crosby streets around 10:47 p.m. Friday.

Police responded to the scene after hearing gunfire close to Chester police headquarters. When they arrived on the 200 block of East 10th Street, officers saw two people running on foot and heard multiple voices shouting.

A Ring camera from a home near the scene captured audio of multiple gunshots and people can be seen running.

Officers found a 16-year-old boy with multiple gunshot wounds on the front steps of a home on the block. He was pronounced dead on the scene.

Left, a map of Chester, Pennsylvania showing the intersection of 9th and Crosby streets where a shooting happened Friday, May 23. Right, Ring camera footage showing people running after multiple shots ring out. CBS News Philadelphia/Ring
Police checked inside the home where the teen was found and found three more gunshot victims inside. They were ages 16, 25 and 26. A handgun was also found inside the living room.














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A fifth victim, a 21-year-old, was found outside with a graze wound on his back.

Those victims were taken to local hospitals and their conditions were not released Saturday.

Police said multiple shell casings were found in the street and backyard of the home where the victims were found and that there was likely an exchange of gunfire.

Two apartments and a neighboring home were also struck with gunfire but thankfully the occupants, which included a 3-year-old child, were unharmed.




The shooting happened during "what appeared to be a gathering or party," according to police.

"The Chester Police Department strongly believes that celebrations and social gatherings should never end in tragedy, no one should lose their life simply for attending a gathering in their community," the department said in a statement.

One witness told police a dark-colored sedan with tinted windows was seen in the area around the time of the shooting.

"This heartbreaking violence is a painful reminder that we must come together as a community to protect our neighborhoods and our youth," Mayor Stefan Roots said in a statement. "The City of Chester will not stand idle while senseless acts of gun violence rob families of their loved ones. We are committed to supporting our police department in finding those responsible and to investing in the solutions that bring lasting peace to our city."

Anyone with information is urged to reach out to Chester police and the Delaware County District Attorney's Office Crime Investigation Division.

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