Officials have new strategy on fighting crime, gang violence

SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — Efforts to fight crime and gang violence in Lackawanna County continue with a new strategy. This comes after gang-related activity earlier this year sparked concern for safety in the Scranton community.

The city is in an $800,000 plus contract in ongoing efforts to combat crime.

Scranton’s Mayor says it’s all about taking a bottom-up approach and students 28/22 News spoke with say they’re feeling optimistic about their city’s future.

A group of Scranton High School students participated in a National Walk to a Park Day Thursday getting a close-up look at the recent improvements to Nay Aug Park.

The new and improved scenery may seem like window dressing, but some students say it does make them feel safer when city leaders put an effort into beautifying their surroundings.

“I do feel safe and I feel I’m going to feel a lot safer because what we are going to fix we are going to make things better,” said Scranton High School Student Nick Petrewski.

It’s just one part of the city’s plan along with Social Contract LLC in designing a community violence intervention and prevention strategy.

“The point is that it’s not the Mayor or the Police Chief. We aren’t the ones that need to develop these kind of relationships with the families and youth that are hurting,” said Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti.

Instead, Mayor Cognetti says the intervention strategy uses credible messengers, or people to help out families and kids who may have a role-model gap in the home.

The role of that messenger would be to help steer the family or child away from violence and into a more productive path.

“Again not a government official, not a law official somebody who is in the community paid by that organization, but not somebody who is coming in with a badge,” Mayor Cognetti explained.

It will be funded through part of the city’s $68,700,000 American Rescue Plan Act funding.

The cost will be shared by the city of Scranton and Lackawanna County.

“To see that they care and that they are trying to make everything in the city, the parks safe it’s a breath of fresh air,” said Johnny Montoro, a Student at Scranton High School.

Montoro is a junior, but college is already on his mind with the University of Scranton in his sights. He says he wants to live in a community without violence.

“Being able to walk to class without thinking about it. Knowing no problems are going to happen get to where you need to cross the street with no problems,” Montoro explained.

“We hope that in a few years time, we can be an entity that people model after. It’s a program missing in the Scranton area and we are looking forward to seeing what that looks like,” Mayor Cognetti stated.

Mayor Cognetti says right now they are putting a plan together to figure out the organizational structure of what’s to come in the following months.

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