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05-15-2008, 04:25 PM
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City Boy in The 'Burbs
Status:
"Sigh...back in Reston."
(set 3 days ago)
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Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Reston, VA ---> Pittsburgh, PA (Hopefully in 2010)
16,758 posts, read 15,024,569 times
Reputation: 5271
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Another Pittston Drug Bust Nets 33 More Arrests; Is NEPA Losing the "War on Drugs?"
I must say that it's sad that my hometown of Pittston, with a population of just 7,500, has just had yet another major drug bust with 33 criminals apprehended in "Operation Hometown." The suspects, who were not affilliated with each other in a single organized ring, were dealing heroin and cocaine.
Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett was quoted in the Scranton Times-Tribune as saying "Like many Pennsylvania towns, an influx of drugs and drug-related activity can cause serious quality of life issues for residents. This investigation targeted the problem head-on, and we have successfully put a significant dent in the Pittston drug trade."
Take a drive through Pittston and it's blatantly obvious that drugs have overrun Tomato Town. What used to be a gorgeous hub of 21,000 residents, anchored by a movie theater, JCPenney, Woolworth's, etc. is now collapsing in on itself. Most of my 2005 graduating class from Pittston Area has either left Pittston or plans to do so shortly, including myself. Entire neighborhoods are deteriorating. Many homes are absolutely disgusting. While most of the "old" homes in Scranton, West Pittston, Wilkes-Barre, Forty Fort, and many other local communities may be characterized as "quaint," most of those in Pittston are advertised by local realtors as needing "TLC." I've posted photos of the deteriorated conditions of Pittston on here in the past, and they likely dropped many jaws for sure for those who hadn't been here in a number of years.
What, if anything, can Pittston and NEPA in general do to eradicate the drug trade from strangling its economic vitality? Drugs are everywhere---I'm posting this major drug bust on the heels of posting another story about major drug issues plaguing the relatively affluent Abington Heights area. Obviously local law enforcement officials are doing their jobs in apprehending these people, but others just jump in to fill their void.
Mugshots: http://scrantontimestribune.com/projects/hometown.pdf
What should we do?
Last edited by Retired Law 08; 12-22-2008 at 11:08 PM..
Reason: better to post link to the article...
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05-16-2008, 06:16 AM
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Senior Member
Status:
"YOU SHOULD LEAVE HOME ONCE AND A WHILE"
(set 12 days ago)
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Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Scranton , PA
1,031 posts, read 406,475 times
Reputation: 323
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Not to sound like an arse   ...but are you surprised Nepa is on the losing end of the "war" on drugs?  The country as a whole has be wagging this expensive "war" for two decades at least with no signs of even getting a foot hold on the problem.
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05-16-2008, 06:53 AM
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Not a member
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Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Scranton
2,886 posts, read 754,394 times
Reputation: 570
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My solution is death penalty for drug dealers, and no penalty for users. Dry up the supply and the demand will go away. Stop jailing people for using, but make drug rehab mandatory. And take these dealers and hang them from the nearest tree. Then these scumbags might think twice before deciding on a career in "street pharmaceutical sales."
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05-16-2008, 07:14 AM
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Apathy Rules!
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Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Apathy Central
2,867 posts, read 1,868,267 times
Reputation: 687
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The war on drugs has been lost on a national level so why would you assume that we have the resources or the ability to fight it here and win.
The local PD's are to busy violating the rights of the law abiding citizens. 
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05-16-2008, 07:59 AM
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babysitter here!~
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Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Tunkhannock
809 posts, read 717,116 times
Reputation: 247
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Did you see how some of those people that got arrested were smiling in their mug shot photo? What a joke... these people need to be taught a lesson. If we were harder on criminals then maybe we wouldn't have these problems.
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05-16-2008, 08:07 AM
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lightbringer
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Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Northern Wayne Co, PA
598 posts, read 482,288 times
Reputation: 293
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It is nice to see so many replies I resonate with...I think the war on drugs is seriously misguided...it is bloating our prisons and over-burdening our law enforcement. I think we should call the whole thing off and allow each person to take responsibility for their life and safety...I think we'd all be surprised at how quickly a lot of our social problems would crumble and fall away once the government stopped trying to control everyone.
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05-16-2008, 08:59 AM
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Apr 2008
4,889 posts, read 2,364,389 times
Reputation: 1895
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Agree totally with weluvpa and mermanmike - that war was lost a long, long time ago.
But it DOES offer some lucrative funding for enforcement agencies and the riff-raff (lawyers, clerks, etc.) associated with it.
Make it all legal - hell, GIVE it away. Evolution will take care of the rest.
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05-16-2008, 09:56 AM
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Formerly NewAgeRedneck
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Join Date: May 2007
Location: Wherabouts Unknown!
4,051 posts, read 2,653,427 times
Reputation: 3377
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ScranBarre wrote: Another Pittston Drug Bust Nets 33 More Arrests; Is NEPA Losing the "War on Drugs?"
IMO, a war of any kind can NEVER be won. WAR is a complete waste of human energy. It's an old concept that has absolutely no benefit to mankind whatsoever.
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05-16-2008, 10:23 AM
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Apr 2008
4,889 posts, read 2,364,389 times
Reputation: 1895
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MrKrabs
Like Denis Leary once said...the solution is not less drugs, but MORE drugs, and give them to the right #$@% people!
Natural selection.....
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Heh - didn't know he'd said that - cool!
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05-16-2008, 11:21 AM
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Scranton
616 posts, read 321,154 times
Reputation: 332
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Quote:
Originally Posted by memoriesbre
Did you see how some of those people that got arrested were smiling in their mug shot photo? What a joke... these people need to be taught a lesson. If we were harder on criminals then maybe we wouldn't have these problems.
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They all need to rot in freaken prison, i'm so sick of scumbags selling drugs, lock em up and throw away the key. I have no patience for any of them.
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