New Town Center Coordinator and Gun Safety at Council

New Swarthmore Town Center Coordinator Sarah Matthews

At Swarthmore Borough Council’s February 1 work session, Sharon Mester, board president of Swarthmore Town Center, announced that Sarah Matthews is the nonprofit’s new coordinator. The position was previously held by Anita Barrett. 

Mester said that Matthews, who moved to Swarthmore in March, will tour town center with mayor Marty Spiegel on Monday to meet borough merchants. One of Matthews’ first tasks will be creating guidelines for the parklets, which are currently authorized to run through March 31. General government committee chair Sarah Graden said that her committee will communicate with Swarthmore Town Center about the parklets before general government discusses them at their February 23 meeting. 

Police Aid in Suicide Prevention

Having learned at a suicide prevention training that many local police departments store firearms for people concerned that they are a danger to themselves, Graden confirmed with Swarthmore Police Chief Ray Stufflet that Swarthmore provides this service. “Firearm deaths account for 50% or more of completed suicides,” said Graden.

Council president Mary Walk asked if a family member could turn in a gun for someone they felt was at risk. Stufflet said that would be possible, but that the police would be obliged to return it to the owner upon request, barring any legal restriction. “We won’t take someone’s weapon who doesn’t want it taken unless we have an arrest or legal intervention,” he said. Stufflet noted that when a weapon is turned in to the police, officers run a criminal records check with the commonwealth and the FBI before returning it. 

View this or any other Swarthmore Borough Council meeting.

The next council meeting is Monday, February 8, at 7:30 p.m. Details are on the borough’s website.