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WILKES-BARRE — In the wake of a surge in violent crime in Wilkes-Barre, law enforcement officials in Northeastern Pennsylvania are pointing to increased collaboration between local, state and federal agencies as a key component of their fight for a safer city.
Recent reporting by the Times Leader revealed that police statistics showed aggravated assaults with firearms increasing 300 percent in the city between 2005 and 2015. Police officials cautioned the data wasn’t necessarily precise, but acknowledged it accurately reflected the trends their officers are seeing.
Local community advocates and business owners offered differing opinions about the city’s issue with violent crime. Most, however, felt safe in the city despite the data.
Luzerne County District Attorney Stefanie Salavantis said she has been involved with a variety of community groups, including crime watch organizations.
When asked if she thought the city was safe, she said that different parts of the city can offer different perspectives from citizens.
“In certain areas, people do feel safe,” she said. “In others, some do not.”
Salavantis added that she felt that the city is safer overall compared to others of similar size.
An area that both Salavantis and Wilkes-Barre Police Chief Marcella Lendacky noted as a notorious area is the Sherman Hills apartment complex, where a number of shootings and other crimes have been reported.
Both, however, noted that the area has improved over the last few years.
“Sherman Hills as come a long way,” Salavantis said. “The management is working with us and making sure they are providing as many resources to combat the issues we saw at Sherman Hills in the past.”
Salavantis, however, said that violent crime seems to be “penetrating” local communities.
Targeting high-crime areas
To combat the rising trends of violent crime, both Salavantis and Lendacky stressed the need for high saturation of police presence in areas plagued by it.
Salavantis said that the county’s Advanced Tactical Anti-Crime and drug task force units are critical in that fight.
Salavantis previously told the Times Leader the county intends to take full control of its drug task force, which currently operates under the direction of the state Office of Attorney General.
Local control, she said, will allow the unit to target and deploy resources more effectively, The move also shouldn’t place any additional financial burden on the county, as it will continue to receive state funding, preserving Salavantis’s assertion her office has saved county taxpayers nearly $250,000 during her time in office.
She said county control of the task force should increase county revenue through forfeitures, as they will no longer be split evenly with the OAG and instead go straight to the county.
Salavantis said that the transition has been a slow process, but after two previous stories ran in the Times Leader about the city’s crime issues, she said she received a call from the U.S. Attorney’s Office about the transition.
That call, she said, was a promising sign that the task force would eventually be placed into the county’s control.
“There has been communication now between offices about the handover of the task force,” she said.
With that task force in the county’s control, Salavantis explained that law enforcement agencies will be in a better position to get information from members of the public about where the crime is, and act accordingly.
Challenges
Both local and federal officials still face challenges to combat the rising levels of crime.
Uncooperative witnesses and victims were something that Lendacky addressed. She said that if victims or witnesses won’t cooperate and talk to investigators, it can make pressing charges difficult.
Salavantis also said that it’s a problem that her office sees frequently. She explained that witnesses can be “scared to death” and can be reluctant to divulge information.
She also said some victims will often disappear after being a victim of a crime.
“It’s a sensitive area, and it’s hard for a lot of people,” she said. “Sometimes they still refuse, so we can’t force them.”
Salavantis added that that size of her office hasn’t change despite asking for three more assistant district attorneys last year.
“We are overwhelmed in our office,” she said. “We just don’t see any help coming our way.”
Collaborative effort
U.S. Attorney Peter Smith stressed that the collaboration between local and federal agencies is a crucial factor in combating violent crime.
In November, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced a “renewed strategy” for reducing violent crime in select cities, including Wilkes-Barre.
That strategy involves collaboration between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to specifically target gun offenses, gang activity, drug-related crime and other acts of violence.
Smith explained that the strategy has always been in existence, but November’s announcement was a “renewed focus.” He added that within the last year, other U.S. attorneys have been assigned to cases in the region.
“We’ve brought about 50 cases involving our violent crime and drug initiative within the last 6 to 8 months,” Smith said, but added that since the cases are still in court, it’s hard to tell how successful for strategy will be.
Smith also said that federal task forces with representatives from local agencies are another important factor.
“In the task force, the federal agencies play a key role because it gives the local law enforcement a contact and an opening to the federal law enforcement agencies and the U.S. Attorney’s office,” he said.
Salavantis said that having local law enforcement assigned to the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force is “a blessing.”
“By having these individuals assigned, if something happens … all we have to do is make one phone call, and we could have an additional 7 to 9 showing up to assist with an investigation,” she said.
The Safe Street Task Force specifically focuses on drug and gang-related violence. Salavantis said that the city has seen an increase in gangs, but added that there doesn’t seem to be random acts of violence — instead, she said violent crime seems to stem from rivalry, drug territory and money disputes.
Prosecution and prevention
Once a criminal is apprehended, the decision regarding whether to prosecute on the state or federal level boils down to ensuring a harsh sentence.
Salavantis said that federal agencies will reach out to her office if there’s an interest in federal prosecution, which can mean lengthier prison sentences.
“Especially in cases of violent crime, if the individual is looking at more time going federally, we’re very interested in passing it along to the federal government,” she said.
Smith added that under the federal system, prosecutors can seek to have a defendant detained so someone with a lengthy criminal history isn’t going to be able to return to the streets anytime soon.
“That alone has, I think, somewhat of a deterrent effect,” Smith said, and added that it can be helpful in getting guilty pleas.
Even if cases do reach the federal level, Salavantis said that assistant district attorneys from her office are designated to the case to work hand-in-hand with federal prosecutors on the case.
Salavantis also said that the threat of federal prosecution can encourage suspects to cooperate and lead to more arrests.
Smith, however, added that the federal judicial system is becoming increasingly geared toward treatment, which is something that Salavantis agrees with.
Salavantis said the county’s treatment court has been effective, and that most that go through the program remain successful and drug free.
“I do truly believe that we need more programs out there with the addiction side that we’re seeing,” Salavantis said. “Throwing an addict in jail … that doesn’t help anybody.”