Welcome!
My name is John Mack and on November 5, 2019, I was re-elected to serve a 6-year term as a Newtown Supervisor. I would like to thank all the citizens who came out and voted that Tuesday and especially those who voted for me. I will do my best to work in the best interest of all Newtown residents.
Honesty · Integrity · Experience
As a Supervisor, I keep busy learning about and making decisions about issues of concern to residents, including the pollution of our streams and lakes, perfluoronated hydrocarbons (PFAS) in our drinking water, preservation of open space, traffic and parking, public safety, fiscal management, and development. On average, I spend more than 40 hours every month on official Supervisor activities including interacting with residents, preparing for meetings, and attending meetings (read "What's the Hourly 'Wage' of a Newtown Township Supervisor?").
Should Newtown PD Hire Qualified Officers of Color?
At the January 13, 2021, Newtown Board of Supervisors meeting township resident Frank McCarron made a case for increased diversity in the Newtown Police Department (NTPD). Currently, all 29 or so NTPD police officers are white. Mr. McCarron suggested that all 3 officers that are planned to be hired in 2021 be officers of color.
The following audio clip from the Zoom meeting includes his comments and Chief John Hearn's response when asked by Supervisor David Oxley to respond.
Mr. McCarron suggested that the racial profile of the NTPD should match that of the township population, which is mostly white.
However, another argument could be made that the NTPD racial profile match that of the targets of the majority of NTPD's actions: Traffic violations. The NTPD make many traffic stops on major roads - Newtown Bypass, Swamp Rd, and Stoopville Rd - that have a lot of non-resident traffic. We don't know the racial profile of that group because that information is not collected by NTPD.
This survey asks your opinion of increasing diversity in the NTPD. No identifying information is collected via this survey unless you opt-in to provide such information for purposes of follow-up by subscribing to John Mack's email newsletter. After completing the survey, you will be able to see a de-identified summary of the results to date.
DISCLAIMER: This is not an official Newtown Township Survey. It’s purpose was solely to inform John Mack, a Newtown Supervisor, of residents' opinions.
