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Greg Skrepenak said he would continue fighting Luzerne County’s drug and crime problem if he’s elected to a second term.
Major cities are doing a better job of policing and pushing crime to the “path of least resistance,” which includes the county because of its access to major highways, the Democrat said during an interview Thursday with the Times Leader Editorial Board.
The county is particularly vulnerable because policing systems are different in each of the 76 municipalities, and police aren’t sharing information or effectively communicating with colleagues outside their boundary lines, he said.
The county’s high elderly population and denial about the extent of the drug problem makes things worse, he said.
“Right now we are welcoming crime – not knowingly – but we are welcoming crime.”
He wants to improve the situation by executing a plan being drafted by a consultant to implement a countywide database that will give all local police access to information about crimes in other municipalities. He wants to push for creation of a countywide police force that would spot trends and specialize in needed services, such as a SWAT team.
Skrepenak has spoken to many groups about drugs and worked with Luzerne County Community College to create a new Substance Abuse Education and Training Institute that will teach counselors and the public about the latest drug prevention research.
The county must be creative with its funding because the state forces counties to rely on property tax, and the federal government will continue reducing allocations.
One example of creativity – and regionalization – he cited was a new HealthChoices program in which Luzerne and three other counties have merged their medical assistance funding into one pot, hoping that shared administration and other efficiencies will yield savings that may be reinvested, he said.
The county got out of the financially draining nursing home business – something he says was personally difficult because his sister worked at the then-county-owned Valley Crest.
Commissioners have agreed to put two branches – the Workforce Investment Office and Drug and Alcohol – into not-for-profit status so they will be out of commissioner control and free to receive private donations, he noted.
County grant writer Michele Sparich has brought in $12 million in grants.
The county’s budget is more detailed and public, he said, though he does not see an end to long-term debt.
“Our critics will say that we’re pushing debt out to the future, onto future generations, but the fact of the matter is that if we don’t create opportunity here, it’s not going to matter what happens in the future because this community’s going to be dead.”
BIO BOX
ON THE WEB

Name: Greg Skrepenak

Age: 37

Party: Democrat

Residence: Dallas

Occupation: Luzerne County commissioner

Personal: Three children: Christian, Gregory Jr. and Marie.

To hear an audio clip of the interview, go to www.timesleader.com.