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WILKES-BARRE — Citing a “crisis of lawlessness,” former Police Chief Tony George on Monday pressed Mayor Thomas Leighton to restore law and order to the city of Wilkes-Barre in the wake of one of its most vicious weekends to date.
George, a city councilman and Democratic candidate for Wilkes-Barre mayor, urged Leighton in a press release to address the state of public safety by implementing citywide saturation patrols with an emphasis in “the most troubled neighborhoods,” including South Wilkes-Barre, North End and the Heights.
Over six days, two people have been killed and five others seriously injured in five separate shootings.
Show of force
During a press conference at police headquarters Monday afternoon, Leighton said patrols have been ongoing since 2013 and will continue as long as there is violent crime in Wilkes-Barre.
“We will continue to have our tactical unit consisting of four officers and a zone car saturate areas where crime is occurring. Our efforts to eliminate violent crime will not cease until the safety is restored in our neighborhoods citywide,” Leighton said.
A Wilkes-Barre Police Officer for over 20 years, George said he believes visibility is a strong crime deterrent and one patrol car was not a significant show of force.
“I don’t know what [Leighton] classifies as a saturation patrol but when you have four cruisers with two officers and members of county and state police, that’s a statement,” George said.
Bloody weekend
Both men noted the unsettling number of incidents in such a short time span.
In the press release, George said this past weekend was arguably one of the bloodiest in the history of the city. Leighton likened the recent surge in violence to 2013’s record homicide totals. That year, 13 homicides occurred in Wilkes-Barre.
“The past few weeks have now shown a similar surge of violent crime and we will continue to aggressively target those trouble areas where the incidents are prevailing,” he said.
When patrols are increased, Leighton said officers are often in undercover cars, semi-marked cars or cruisers. They are not always dressed as police officers, he noted.
Leighton said patrols have increased in several problem areas, including near Club Envy at 650 S. Main St., where two people were injured by gunfire early Friday morning.
“That’s another example of areas where we’ve increased our patrols,” Leighton said. “Over the weekend we’ve had patrols down there in that neighborhood.”
Wilkes-Barre Police Chief Robert Hughes said he doesn’t believe the recent spike in temperature is related to the influx of violence in the past week.
“I wouldn’t blame it on the weather,” Hughes said. “I think once everything gets worked out here there will probably be a common denominator, which in most of them usually comes down to drugs.”
Law and order
George said he believes targeted policing will stop violence and restore law and order to the city.
During his formal announcement to seek the mayor’s seat on Jan. 25, George, speaking in front of police headquarters, tabbed “law and order” as the foundation of his campaign. George was named Chief of Police in 2001 after 22 years on the force. He was elected to city council in 2012.
George, 63, said he entered the mayoral race to bring back a return to normalcy.
“That’s the reason why I’m running, because I don’t like the direction the city’s going,” he said.