Politics, Payoffs Preempt the Law in Bucks County

Bensalem Police Won’t Charge Sign Thieves - Won’t Investigate Reckless Driving Incident

Bucks County Courthouse Fails to Respond to Display Request

SHowing Animals Respect and Kindness (SHARK) is fighting live pigeon shoots at the Philadelphia Gun Club (PGC) located in Bensalem Township. The members of the PGC are wealthy, politically connected individuals, such as former president of the PGC and former NRA board member Leo Holt, (who took a business trip with Gov. Tom Corbett), and John Sigler, former president of the NRA.
Due to this influence, the PGC has been immune to the law. PGC members have also donated political contributions to Mayor Joseph DiGirolamo. The latest incident happened on Saturday, December 21, 2013 when SHARK's protest signs were stolen by David Clee, a former Bensalem police officer, who is employed by PGC, along with another man whose identity is unknown. The Bensalem police refused to charge either in the theft. On Thursday, December 26, SHARK sent a letter to Fred Harran, Dir. of Public Safety for Bensalem, demanding answers on the theft, but we have received no response. Bensalem is simply ignoring the incident. Copies were sent to other Bensalem government officials and employees. 
"The power the PGC obviously holds over Bensalem gives them free reign to violate the law, including covering their license plates, driving their vehicles recklessly at our activists and  protection from PA’s anti-cruelty statute 5511, which shooting pigeons from boxes clearly violates," states SHARK president Steve Hindi. "Theft in broad daylight shows how deep the corruption goes.”
On Friday, December 20th, SHARK protested outside of the Women's Humane Society (also located in Bensalem) when an SUV drove recklessly at one of our activists and actually hit the sign he was holding. This was an extremely dangerous situation and the Bensalem police were called but they refused to come out. The victim had to go to the police station to file an incident report which included providing a license plate and picture. Though the police said they would get back to the victim, they have not.
"We were at the Women's Humane Society to urge them to help fight the pigeon shoots at the PGC, which happen just a few miles from their building," states Hindi. “Clearly, someone was very angry about this and nearly hit one of our people. Once again, the Bensalem police refused to take action. The Bensalem Police are supposed to protect the public, instead they are working on behalf of the criminals committing the crimes.”
On December 11, SHARK saw both nonprofit and commercial interests displays at the Bucks County Courthouse. SHARK complied with the requirements to request a display. Linda Scheiblein, assistant to the director of Bucks County Emergency Services stated it would take two or three days to get approval. A week later having heard nothing, we wrote to inquire as to the status, we were told we would hear by December 20. Despite our numerous requests in the interim, we have received no response.
The courthouse is supposed to have a non-discrimination policy, but we believe that they are deliberately not responding because they are discriminating against us, and we believe we know why.
SHARK was told that our display would have to be approved by the Bucks County Solicitors’ Office. This raises concern because Sean Corr, who works as assistant solicitor, has represented the PGC as their lawyer. More disturbingly, Corr assaulted Steve Hindi at a pigeon shoot, which was captured on video. Corr's assault became a major issue when he was given the county job and SHARK protested his hiring because of it.
"When Bucks County hires a lawyer as their assistant solicitor, who also represents the pigeon shooters, a lawyer who committed a violent assault at a pigeon shoot, you can begin to understand why so many unscrupulous things happen," states Hindi. "This confluence of money, political connections and animal cruelty has drowned all sense of justice and law. The Bensalem Police bow to it and by doing so allow crimes to go unpunished."