Has crime REALLY increased in the Scranton/WB area? (Harrisburg: houses, living)

[toobusytoday]

This might be interesting - Scranton Police Department Gets New Crime Fighting Software « Roy's Rants – For Your Information

Scranton has purchased new software that will enable their police department to get a better handle on crime.

For a very low price tag, $6,000, this software will enable police to do crime-mapping, tracking and facilitate anonymous tips from residents. This sounds like something we could easily do in Pottstown. The $6,000 price tag is a blip on our $3 million police budget.

[lilyflower7]

Originally Posted by Trucker7

This is the way to go. Get a License to Carry too. It is only $25 and takes 15 minutes. Many criminals come from places where citizens are not allowed to defend themselves and don't expect their victims to fight back. At least in PA we still got that right. Let the criminals know that assaulting innocent victims may result in their untimely demise.

What.the....?

Are you folks serious? You think you need to carry guns ON you in Scranton??? I go to school in Newark and I have not ONCE contemplated buying a gun for self-protection. I carry pepper spray and a cell phone and rely on escorts if I really don't feel safe but I've never felt the need to go get a gun.

[Trucker7]

Originally Posted by lilyflower7

What.the....?

Are you folks serious? You think you need to carry guns ON you in Scranton??? I go to school in Newark and I have not ONCE contemplated buying a gun for self-protection. I carry pepper spray and a cell phone and rely on escorts if I really don't feel safe but I've never felt the need to go get a gun.

People don't carry guns because they expect to be assaulted. Same way as people don't wear a seat belts because they expect to get into an accident and they don't buy home insurance because they expect their house to catch fire. They do it for that one in a thousand chance that they may need it.

[DowntownHarrisburg]

Originally Posted by Trucker7

People don't carry guns because they expect to be assaulted. Same way as people don't wear a seat belts because they expect to get into an accident and they don't buy home insurance because they expect their house to catch fire. They do it for that one in a thousand chance that they may need it.

And every single one of us hopes we only ever use it for target practice.

A CCW is a must-have for anyone owning a handgun in Pennsylvania. There are too many good reasons to get one and none against. Frankly, if you can't afford the $25 - $45 fee, you shouldn't own a gun to begin with. A day at the range will blow through that much ammo in no time, to say nothing of safety classes.

But as for crime in NEPA, that just seems cute. Do people really get shot up there? Or are you dealing with more nuisance crimes like vandalism and petty burglary?

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by floor9

But as for crime in NEPA, that just seems cute. Do people really get shot up there? Or are you dealing with more nuisance crimes like vandalism and petty burglary?

You haven't heard? Scranton is right up there now with Camden and Detroit! You can't walk around Green Ridge without worrying about a Latin King decapitating you as part of his initiation into the gang. There's a 6 PM curfew in Minooka. Meth labs are abundant in the Village at Tripp Park. People pull guns on one another left and right as they leave the NEPA Philharmonic's shows at the Scranton Cultural Center. There's always a group of guys wearing red t-shirts and bandanas at the entrance to Lake Scranton. This place is downright gangsta thug land, homiez!

[W-B proud]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

You haven't heard? Scranton is right up there now with Camden and Detroit! You can't walk around Green Ridge without worrying about a Latin King decapitating you as part of his initiation into the gang. There's a 6 PM curfew in Minooka. Meth labs are abundant in the Village at Tripp Park. People pull guns on one another left and right as they leave the NEPA Philharmonic's shows at the Scranton Cultural Center. There's always a group of guys wearing red t-shirts and bandanas at the entrance to Lake Scranton. This place is downright gangsta thug land, homiez!

Ha ha. Hazleton has three times as much violent crime as Scranton and is three times as small. I always get a kick out of people in Scranton complaining about crime. Everyone up there has "the sky is falling attitude" while W-B and more recently Hazleton have been dealing with big city crime for some time, Scranton has been mostly isolated. Well it seems that Scranton's time is up. Get used to what Wilkes-Barre and Hazleton have been dealing with. Maybe Scranton won't be so fast to look down thier noses at thier sister cities in the region now that they are begining to get a taste of the big city crime

[Gerania]

Originally Posted by lilyflower7

What.the....?

Are you folks serious? You think you need to carry guns ON you in Scranton??? I go to school in Newark and I have not ONCE contemplated buying a gun for self-protection. I carry pepper spray and a cell phone and rely on escorts if I really don't feel safe but I've never felt the need to go get a gun.

You want to own a gun in NJ? Ha ha ha, ha ha...ha ha ha! Ask them about concealed carry.

[Trucker7]

Originally Posted by Gerania

You want to own a gun in NJ? Ha ha ha, ha ha...ha ha ha! Ask them about concealed carry.

I did. Back in 2006 when I was still living there. The guy at the police station almost fell off his chair laughing. After he stopped, he asked me if I was serious. Then, he proceeded to tell me that he could give me the papers, but that it would cost $200 just to apply and that it would be denied nonetheless. He said that the last person there that walked out with a Carry License was in 1986.

[lilyflower7]

Originally Posted by Gerania

You want to own a gun in NJ? Ha ha ha, ha ha...ha ha ha! Ask them about concealed carry.

Even if I could have one, I don't WANT one. I don't feel the need to have to shoot my way out of Rutgers Newark.

Seriously, you think you're in THAT much danger that you need a handgun to go to Wal-Mart on Rt. 6 in Dickson City? Yeah, I'm sure crime has increased since the mid-80s and I'm sure that you can no longer leave your door unlocked like you could in the Mid Valley when I was a kid but a GUN?? Seriously??

[lilyflower7]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

You haven't heard? Scranton is right up there now with Camden and Detroit! You can't walk around Green Ridge without worrying about a Latin King decapitating you as part of his initiation into the gang. There's a 6 PM curfew in Minooka. Meth labs are abundant in the Village at Tripp Park. People pull guns on one another left and right as they leave the NEPA Philharmonic's shows at the Scranton Cultural Center. There's always a group of guys wearing red t-shirts and bandanas at the entrance to Lake Scranton. This place is downright gangsta thug land, homiez!

LOL! Seriously, what the hell. I went to da U in the early 2000s and didn't feel ridiculously unsafe in the Hill Section - yes, there were meth houses/drug houses/whatever there then - we knew where they were and didn't bother with them. (Most of us were a little too drunk to care.) That was the seediest part of town and I was fine there. I lived in Green Ridge in 2001, guess the Latin Kings moved in after I left

I'm always amused by this and the NJ forum. On the NJ forum I have to convince out of towners that rents are really low in East Orange and Irvington BECAUSE the crime is so horrible (both towns are actually much more dangerous than Newark). Then I come here and people insist they need to carry concealed weapons around Wilkes-Barre and Scranton because the crime has gotten so bad. Haven't looked up official stats but I'm pretty certain that even adjusted for population Scranton's crime rate is much lower at least compared to Newark/East Orange/Irvington. (Seriously, you have not seen scary urban crime areas until you've driven through Irvington)