SCRANTON – Officials representing local government and law enforcement agencies held a kickoff meeting Thursday as a first step in reducing crime and offering support to residents.
The City of Scranton, Lackawanna County and the Scranton School District partnered to design and develop a crime prevention program, with the Lackawanna County and Scranton city sharing the cost of a $105,262 contract with Social Contract, LLC, from American Rescue Plan Act funds.
The roundtable discussion, not open to the public, came after a year marked by multiple instances of violent crime, beginning with the near-fatal shooting of Police Officer Kyle Gilmartin on Jan. 11. The year also was marked by five homicides in the city, in addition to an uptick in gang violence.
Most recently, law enforcement officials in Lackawanna County made nine arrests related to gang-related drug trafficking and closed down a nuisance bar where much of the illegal activity took place.
Following the meeting, participants held a news conference expressing excitement about the initiative aimed at reducing crime throughout the area, by offering support systems for members of the community.
Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti said the nongovernmental new Community Violence Intervention and Prevention Project will provide services that go beyond law enforcement and the classroom. Instead, it will meet needs identified as being problematic, such as mental health.
Mayor Paige Cognetti addresses a small crowd following a planning meeting, aimed at developing a new Community Violence Intervention and Prevention Project for the city and county. (GERI GIBBONS/STAFF PHOTO)
Lackawanna County Commissioner Matt McGloin said the initiative would implement evidence based practices, proven to be successful.
“It’s not about just intervention, but about prevention and breaking the cycle of crime,” he said.
McGloin said he grew up in Scranton when families kept their doors open and everyone felt safe.
“Times have changed,” he said.
The violence that has marked the city and county, he said, is not acceptable. The initiative was aimed at restoring hope, safety and opportunity to county residents, he said.
Lackawanna County District Attorney Mark Powell said of crime: “There is not just one cause and there is not just one solution.”
The solution lies in a community effort and in city and county agencies working together, he said.
“It takes a village to raise a child,” he said, quoting an African proverb.
Powell emphasized prevention, intervention and enforcement, in dealing with crime.
Scranton Police Chief Thomas Carroll said all the participating agencies were committed to breaking the cycle of violence. Hiring Social Contract is a starting point for change, he said.
Carroll lauded law enforcement officers from multiple departments for their commitment to serving their community and willingness to partnership with other law enforcement agencies.
“Kyle Gilmartin is an example of our resolve,” he said. “His resiliency is our resiliency.”