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Burglars strike again in Dunmore

DUNMORE - Police are asking residents to be vigilant and report suspicious activity after two more residential burglaries in the borough.

The burglaries were reported Monday at homes in the 1700 block of Madison Avenue and the 1300 block of Jefferson Avenue. A borough man, Frank Borgia, 19, was arrested Monday night in connection with the Jefferson break-in; the Madison Avenue burglary, in which entry was gained by smashing a back door, is still under investigation, Police Chief Patrick Reese said.

If residents spot suspicious activity or individuals, police want to know about it, Chief Reese said.

Dunmore police can be reached at 343-0851.

Four People Charged in Area Scranton Area Burglaries.

OLD FORGE - Four people have been charged in connection with several Old Forge burglaries.

According to the Pennsylvania State Unified Court System Web site, charged were:

n David Michael Hastings, 31, of 148½ Howard St., Old Forge, who faces charges of criminal trespass, burglary and theft.

n Amanda Heath, 33, of 213 Charles St., Old Forge, who faces burglary charges.

n George Mikelaitis, 29, with a last known address of Tunkhannock, was charged with burglary, criminal trespass, theft and receiving stolen property.

n Lackawanna County prison officials confirmed Saturday that Joseph John Genell, of 544 Hickory St., Old Forge, was being held on $100,000 bail on burglary charges.

Other than the identities of those arrested, Old Forge Police on Saturday declined to release details, including specific charges, location and number of burglaries or what was stolen.

Police did say they recovered stolen firearms and that the investigation into the burglaries, which spanned a three-month period, was ongoing.

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The following is an excert from the Times-tribune.com

Violent crime in Scranton jumped 19 percent in 2009, and the latest statistics point to a significant rise in juveniles committing aggravated assaults as a reason why.

Some officials in the criminal justice system said the numbers confirm what they already knew, and they believe drugs, gang activity and the recession are all playing a role.

"The concern is the level of violence, the absolute audacity and lack of respect we are seeing," said Frank Castellano, head of the juvenile unit in the Lackawanna County district attorney's office.

Increasing violence is only part of the story that emerges from preliminary statistics the Scranton Police Department files monthly with the state's Uniform Crime Reporting System. The submission last month of December's numbers closes the book on 2009 and shows the city at odds with a national decline in violent crime.

In six of the past eight years - the exceptions were steep drops in 2006 and 2007 - violent crime has increased in Scranton. The FBI, which uses the statistics from the state system for its own annual count, categorizes violent crime as murder, forcible rape, robbery and aggravated assault.

Violent crimes and property crimes - burglary, larceny, auto theft and arson - make up the eight most serious, consistently reported offenses the FBI tracks.

Property crimes are Scranton's most prevalent offenses, and in that category there was little change - a 1 percent dip.

The city's 2009 property crime rate per 1,000 residents surpassed that of urban heavyweights Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, while Scranton ranked fifth among the state's 10 most populous cities behind Allentown, Lancaster, Reading and Harrisburg.

In violent crime, Scranton ranked seventh out of the 10.

"At some point it becomes a status symbol for them," Mr. Castellano said.

"Whether they are real gang members or wannabes, it makes no difference to a victim," he added.

Dr. Rosenfeld said he suspects either an expanding drug market or gang activity at the root of the problem. Whatever the cause, an "increase of that magnitude should be taken very seriously," he said.

Recession debated