The unusual proposal captured national attention, bringing requests from CNN and FoxNews for Nestel to appear, offers he declined.
As outlined at a township meeting Monday, the idea was to give a warning for a first offense, then issue a $25 ticket for any instance after that within a year.
Police or civilian members of the department would enforce the ordinance by checking door handles of automobiles parked on neighborhood streets - not in private driveways- and if a car was unlocked, lock it after leaving a flier or a ticket, he said.
Because thefts from cars are often committed by young drug abusers, such a plan would help drive them out of town, he stated.
But assorted citizens got riled about their rights, and called or emailed the chief.
"Fascist pig was very popular. I've become very comfortable with being called that now," he said.
The attitude perplexes Nestel, since there's wide acceptance of all sorts of rules - like how high lawns can grow.
"There are definitely people who have missed the point on this, and they're focusing on the government making law instead of on solving a legitimate problem," he said.
One emailer sarcastically wondered when Upper Moreland would start fining children who forget to wear gloves in winter.
Although Nestel, a 25-year veteran of policing who's working toward his Ph.D in criminology at the University of Pennsylvania, argued the system would be constitutional, others disagreed.
One man who e-mailed the chief said he hoped to get fined, so he could sue to have the courts toss out such an ordinance.
Suppose locking a car led an officer to notice a bag of cocaine in a side pocket. Police could pursue drug charges, Nestel had said.
But Drexel's Donald F. Tibbs, an associate law professor, said courts were likely to reject the idea that locking a car is a "good faith" action that changes what could be considered "in plain view."
