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Thursday, November 05, 1998 Page: 8A
WILKES-BARRE- Mayor Tom McGroarty announced Wednesday the city will receive
a state grant to encourage children to become involved in crime watch
activities.
A $17,000 Community Crime Prevention grant from the Pennsylvania Commission
on Crime and Delinquency will pay for a Youth Citizens Police Academy and
crime watch equipment, McGroarty said.
The academy will give young people a greater understanding of the role
police officers play in the community, McGroarty said. It will be held in two
six-week sessions, with meetings one night a week.
Guy Izzo, president of the Wilkes-Barre Crime Watch Coalition, said
children are an integral part of crime prevention.
Wilkes-Barre Police Captain of Prevention Pat Rushton, coordinator of the
academy, said one of the goals is to get young people more interested in crime
watch activities by explaining law enforcement duties. He said most of the
city crime watch programs have few children involved.
The grant, which does not require a local match, will pay for 12 two-way
radios, 100 crime watch jackets, 15,000 crime watch signs for homes, 100 crime
watch street signs, 50 Drug-Free School Zone signs and computer eq