Thoughts on the Beginnings of the Bern Twp. Police Dept...
Recollections by Francis E. "Jim" DeVine
(this narrative prints out on 2 pages)

In 1953 (or '54), I was appointed Bern township supervisor to replace the veteran, retiring Ruben Albright. The other two supervisors were Daniel Hiester and Frankie Potteiger. Hiester was very busy with his driveway service, and Potteiger, though being secretary, was not really interested in the township activities. That left the daily running of the township up to me, and I enjoyed the challenge.

At that time, the police department consisted of two part time officers, Elias Reigel of Washington Lane and George Sillman of Sillman Lane. I was told they were each allowed to work about two hours per week with no formal police equipment. As a matter of fact, I don't believe they were sworn in as police officers.

One day I encountered Sillman investigating a juvenile brawl at Speedy's restaurant at Barlow Ave. and Bernville Road. He said that he was doing this on his own time because he had already worked his allotted time. I told him this is no way to run a police department, and if we were going to have one we must change it for the better.

With Reigel's and Sillman's advice we set out to formalize the department. With the approval of Hiester and Potteiger, we advertised for a police car and purchased a 1954 or 1955 Chevrolet station wagon painted black with white trim. We equipped the car with a red bubble light, spotlight and emergency kit, and with the assistance of Mrs. Voss Osman of the Civil Defense Agency we installed a radio and hooked it up to the county radio system. The police car was housed in George Sillman's barn and was easily accessed by Reigel who needed only to cross the railroad bridge on Sillman Lane. (It wasn't called that then. We named the roads later.) The township paid for hardware to make the barn door operable for the police car.

We arranged to have police uniforms made for the two officers and supplied them with police weapons and ammunition. We set up a schedule for them to work more hours. Now, they were going to look like police officers.











I instructed the officers that there would be no ticket fixing. They would be the only ones to decide who would be arrested and who would be warned. I arranged to have arresting tickets printed; an original and three copies. One copy was for me as I was now township secretary. I wanted one to keep track of the ticket process to be sure that all were paid or properly adjudicated by Justice of the Peace George Reeser.

Once I had a call from Bill Piper, our representative in Harrisburg, who said he had a VIP who needed his ticket voided. I told him absolutely "no deal", but he kept insisting. I asked for the person's name which he gave to me, and I told Bill I would personally keep track of the ticket to see that it was paid. I didn't make any friends there. On another occassion, Reading Mayor John Kubacki came to me personally with a similar request, and I turned him down.

I ran for election in the primary of '56 (I believe) and was defeated by Bill Grim so I don't remember much about the police department after that except that later officers were Floyd Filbert of Morrison Road and even later was his son Douglass Filbert of Womelsdorf.

George Sillman can probably add many more interesting details and correct any possible errors that I might have written. All additions and corrections are gratefully received and will be incorporated into the final edition.

End...12/03/05

Written (to the best of my recollection) by:
Francis E. "Jim" DeVine
Jim DeVine may be contacted by email at fejd531260@aol.com
Neil Wagonseller; webmaster for My USMC Memoirs