Wilkes Barre, PA. extremely dangerous!!! (Scranton, Wilkes-Barre: 2013, violent crime, home)

[SoulJourn]

I had several friends move from Wilkes Barre back in 2010 and they had loved it for several years. They said it was turning into a ghetto and a dangerous area. Just recently, I checked on the city and found that what they were saying was true. Anyone who wants to move there is off their rocker, just check this site and check the Times Leader.Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed
I feel sorry for anyone living there.

[Further]

WB is just a shell of once was a thriving city. Now, thanks to corrupt politicians and liberal pipe dreams, the city is just an example of the decay of the NEPA area in general. RIP.

[warren zee]

I feel one of the biggest problems is paying the police $10.00/ hour. Why would you risk your life in this ghetto for $10.00 per hour? I thank my lucky stars that the home we were going to buy on River Road still had a tenant in it and the owners didn't want to disrupt them.

[thecoalman]

Warren I don't know what gave you the impression that WB police make $10 an hour but that's not even close. The meter maids might be getting that much. In some of the smaller communities here they may start out at $12 to $15. I don't don't know what they start at in WB but according to this the lowest paid officer in 2013 was $58K with many making almost $70K. The chief has a base pay of almost $100K

Wake Up Wilkes Barre: Budget meeting today 6 PM

In addition to that they are getting medical and a pension which is going to be worth another $20 to $30K. With overtime and the benefits many of them are probably making about $100K+.

I don't know if they are still getting it but along with the fire department they were getting paid to NOT write parking tickets.

City firefighters will receive stipend once reserved for cops - News - Citizens' Voice

[warren zee]

Originally Posted by thecoalman

Warren I don't know what gave you the impression that WB police make $10 an hour but that's not even close. The meter maids might be getting that much. In some of the smaller communities here they may start out at $12 to $15. I don't don't know what they start at in WB but according to this the lowest paid officer in 2013 was $58K with many making almost $70K. The chief has a base pay of almost $100K

Wake Up Wilkes Barre: Budget meeting today 6 PM

In addition to that they are getting medical and a pension which is going to be worth another $20 to $30K. With overtime and the benefits many of them are probably making about $100K+.

I don't know if they are still getting it but along with the fire department they were getting paid to NOT write parking tickets.

City firefighters will receive stipend once reserved for cops - News - Citizens' Voice

Hey Coalman: I am just stating what cops told me. I became friendly with them, due to the problems on my street including threats, gun shots, assaults, etc. The officers I spoke to back in 2011 said they were earning $10 hour. On my street I had thugs, drug dealers as well as neo-nazi's. I lived in NY most of my life including living in a supposed scary area called "East New York" and without a doubt Wilkes Barre is worse. From the article by Soul Journ Wilkes Barre is worse hands down. The best thing that I can take away from my three years in Wilkes-Barre is our Dachshund that our Neo-Nazi neighbors were selling for under $200. It's not a welcoming place, so if you don't come from that area, don't even bother looking there because it is getting worse and worse.

[Further]

Well, I see another shooting occurred jn the city today. Right by an interfaith church if I read the news clip correctly. Ironically, near the Sherman Hills Apt. complex. Now, the question is what is more shocking, where it happened or the fact it was the fourth shooting in the city in the last 72 hours? The police have indicated a red minivan maybe a vehicle of interest with occupants that maybe armed and dangerous. I'm beginning to understand where the "Keystone Cops" got their name.

[Gerania]

Originally Posted by Further

Well, I see another shooting occurred jn the city today. Right by an interfaith church if I read the news clip correctly. Ironically, near the Sherman Hills Apt. complex. Now, the question is what is more shocking, where it happened or the fact it was the fourth shooting in the city in the last 72 hours? The police have indicated a red minivan maybe a vehicle of interest with occupants that maybe armed and dangerous. I'm beginning to understand where the "Keystone Cops" got their name.

That place is nothing but bad news and has been for years. I really feel sorry for the innocent victims who are forced to live there.

[SteelCityRising]

The sad thing is that the Diamond City has so much wasted potential. Wilkes-Barre, albeit smaller in terms of city proper population than Scranton, feels much larger because it crams its 41,000 people into a very small square mileage, giving it a much higher population density than most of the Electric City. A higher population density is conducive to greater walkability because businesses can thrive off of the greater density, and walkability is what's currently "trending" among today's Millennials and young professionals, as well as empty-nesters, who want to live within footsteps of restaurants, bars, parks, theaters, etc. instead of having to live in an area reliant upon cars.

Wilkes-Barre could and should be thriving with hosting such a wide array of events and amenities in such a compact urban core, but instead it's wilting and suffering because of its disproportionately high rate of violent crime. Since police officers tend to be reactionary---not pro-active---I'm not really sure what the solution is.

[warren zee]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

The sad thing is that the Diamond City has so much wasted potential. Wilkes-Barre, albeit smaller in terms of city proper population than Scranton, feels much larger because it crams its 41,000 people into a very small square mileage, giving it a much higher population density than most of the Electric City. A higher population density is conducive to greater walkability because businesses can thrive off of the greater density, and walkability is what's currently "trending" among today's Millennials and young professionals, as well as empty-nesters, who want to live within footsteps of restaurants, bars, parks, theaters, etc. instead of having to live in an area reliant upon cars.

Wilkes-Barre could and should be thriving with hosting such a wide array of events and amenities in such a compact urban core, but instead it's wilting and suffering because of its disproportionately high rate of violent crime. Since police officers tend to be reactionary---not pro-active---I'm not really sure what the solution is.

Paul: You've always had a weird affinity for WB, Why? It is a crap city, that basically has nothing good, especially the people, who hate outsiders. The city is truly getting what it deserves. People whether, millennials, young professionals or empty nesters want a safe area to walk around. WB is not that. Bottom line, WB did not want outsiders like my family or gays in their city. They made their bed, so let them lie in it. We tried to give WB a chance, but they wanted nothing to do with us. Stop beating a dead horse.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by warren zee

Paul: You've always had a weird affinity for WB, Why? It is a crap city, that basically has nothing good, especially the people, who hate outsiders. The city is truly getting what it deserves. People whether, millennials, young professionals or empty nesters want a safe area to walk around. WB is not that. Bottom line, WB did not want outsiders like my family or gays in their city. They made their bed, so let them lie in it. We tried to give WB a chance, but they wanted nothing to do with us. Stop beating a dead horse.

So what's your solution, then, Warren? Just let the mixture of struggling old people who can't afford to move away; college students waiting to move away after graduation; and people who only live there because of family ties continue to live in fear of violence? Isn't ANYONE going to advocate for Wilkes-Barre to not be a sewer?