Yet Another Standoff in Edwardsville (Scranton, Bethlehem: low income, section 8, 2009)

[ScranBarre]

Can someone explain to me how a community of 4,685 individuals could be in the news for violent crime bi-weekly? I work in Edwardsville, and I pay $52 for that "privilege" annually---the privilege of having to have had to contact our loss prevention official on numerous occasions. What do our dollars pay for? Obviously it's not for adequate police patrols or for community revitalization initiatives. I can recall in the past that one of our members, the brother of a borough councilman, slammed everyone who had one negative thing to say about Edwardsville, but I'm still awaiting an answer on as to how a borough of 4,685 people can be replete with so much violent crime. The closure of the murder-ridden Glass Bar (which then burned down in an arson to add insult to injury) was supposed to have "cleaned up" Edwardsville. Apparently that wasn't the case.

Edwardsville residents, what say you? What has happened to your town? Why did you let things get this badly? When do you plan to band together and take back your streets from your MASSIVE drug problem? (To be fair a small, seedy portion of generally highly-regarded Kingston is guilty of this as well). I never saw so many derelicts wandering the streets in my life as I did when I drove a friend home last year at about 2 AM (I suppose that's when the bars close?)

[ScranBarre]

Marvelous. One month down in 2009, and Wilkes-Barre has already had its first homicide of the new year. I was hoping this MIGHT be the year when Wilkes-Barre could have been murder-free, similar to how Bethlehem had no homicides last year (that city is REALLY coming back strongly!) For what it's worth though I think it's unusual that there has been such little discussion about this murder in the media. I HOPE it doesn't have anything to do with the victim's race.

[W-B proud]

Originally Posted by ScranBarre

Can someone explain to me how a community of 4,685 individuals could be in the news for violent crime bi-weekly? I work in Edwardsville, and I pay $52 for that "privilege" annually---the privilege of having to have had to contact our loss prevention official on numerous occasions. What do our dollars pay for? Obviously it's not for adequate police patrols or for community revitalization initiatives. I can recall in the past that one of our members, the brother of a borough councilman, slammed everyone who had one negative thing to say about Edwardsville, but I'm still awaiting an answer on as to how a borough of 4,685 people can be replete with so much violent crime. The closure of the murder-ridden Glass Bar (which then burned down in an arson to add insult to injury) was supposed to have "cleaned up" Edwardsville. Apparently that wasn't the case.

Edwardsville residents, what say you? What has happened to your town? Why did you let things get this badly? When do you plan to band together and take back your streets from your MASSIVE drug problem? (To be fair a small, seedy portion of generally highly-regarded Kingston is guilty of this as well). I never saw so many derelicts wandering the streets in my life as I did when I drove a friend home last year at about 2 AM (I suppose that's when the bars close?)

Edwardsville is home to three low income housing projects., and used to have a few bars that used to attract trouble makers. For a small town to have so many "projects" is exactly the problem. It is no secret that these housing projects bread drug dealers, welfare recipients and other undesirables that have nothing better to do with thier time then pop out children that they cannot support, sell drugs, and shoot up the town. It's a shame. My grandparent's were from Edwardsville, and used to say what a nice town it was before they built the housing projects. To be fair, this particular incident did'nt happen at one of the projects, but a majority of Edwardsville's problems are bred in these "projects".

[ScranBarre]

Originally Posted by W-B proud

Edwardsville is home to three low income housing projects., and used to have a few bars that used to attract trouble makers. For a small town to have so many "projects" is exactly the problem. It is no secret that these housing projects bread drug dealers, welfare recipients and other undesirables that have nothing better to do with thier time then pop out children that they cannot support, sell drugs, and shoot up the town. It's a shame. My grandparent's were from Edwardsville, and used to say what a nice town it was before they built the housing projects. To be fair, this particular incident did'nt happen at one of the projects, but a majority of Edwardsville's problems are bred in these "projects".

Who were the lucid minds that were governing Edwardsville and decided they "wanted" to have three low-income housing projects injected into their borders? That was sheer brilliance! Now we have a community with a median household income BARELY above $20,000 (lowest in the region),which is disgusting, and so much crime that housing values are severely depressed and the town's lone upscale subdivision has had tremendous difficulty selling lots.

[W-B proud]

Originally Posted by ScranBarre

Marvelous. One month down in 2009, and Wilkes-Barre has already had its first homicide of the new year. I was hoping this MIGHT be the year when Wilkes-Barre could have been murder-free, similar to how Bethlehem had no homicides last year (that city is REALLY coming back strongly!) For what it's worth though I think it's unusual that there has been such little discussion about this murder in the media. I HOPE it doesn't have anything to do with the victim's race.

I KNEW THAT GUY!!! He lived one block up from me. he was a regular in the neighborhood. He used to do odd jobs around the neighborhood. He was suppost to paint my porch, and hang a gutter for me this spring! I even have an idea on who may have done it. He was good friends with the guy who was murdered. They were drinking buddies and worked together. I know both of them! It's a crazy world!!

[Go Ne]

Originally Posted by ScranBarre

Marvelous. One month down in 2009, and Wilkes-Barre has already had its first homicide of the new year. I was hoping this MIGHT be the year when Wilkes-Barre could have been murder-free, similar to how Bethlehem had no homicides last year (that city is REALLY coming back strongly!) For what it's worth though I think it's unusual that there has been such little discussion about this murder in the media. I HOPE it doesn't have anything to do with the victim's race.

Well, Omaha has had 3, although Omaha also has 10 times the population, so hows the murder number for you metro?

[ScranBarre]

Originally Posted by Go Ne

Well, Omaha has had 3, although Omaha also has 10 times the population, so hows the murder number for you metro?

So far I can only think of this one murder in Wilkes-Barre for 2009 in a three-county metro of 551,000. I remember two people were found dead in a home in Scranton's Hill Section neighborhood earlier this year, but I never heard a follow-up from the media as to the coroner's autopsy reports.

[InfectedMushroom]

Knock down the projects, get rid of section 8 and SEVERE welfare reform. That's the solution IMO. Then they could invest some money in making the main st look not like a dump and get people to come back. But, we all know how far that idea will get.

[W-B proud]

Originally Posted by InfectedMushroom

Knock down the projects, get rid of section 8 and SEVERE welfare reform. That's the solution IMO. Then they could invest some money in making the main st look not like a dump and get people to come back. But, we all know how far that idea will get.

Will you please run for president so I can vote for you?

[go phillies]

Originally Posted by ScranBarre

Marvelous. One month down in 2009, and Wilkes-Barre has already had its first homicide of the new year. I was hoping this MIGHT be the year when Wilkes-Barre could have been murder-free, similar to how Bethlehem had no homicides last year (that city is REALLY coming back strongly!) For what it's worth though I think it's unusual that there has been such little discussion about this murder in the media. I HOPE it doesn't have anything to do with the victim's race.

I think its just that crime in Wilkes-Barre is not catching anyone's attention anymore. We're used to hearing about it, we're becoming desensitized to it. It doesn't matter the race, but it seems most of the murders in this area are people who are not exactly model citizens....usually criminal druggies. Not major losses to the community.