There is a perception among Scranton residents that the city is becoming less safe. Every resident in every neighborhood deserves to feel safe. Anything else is unacceptable. The Scranton Police Department do a great job and I will always back SPD.
I’m a believer in the Broken Windows Theory of policing, basically that crime and disorderly activity goes where it is invited. Think about it, if you’re on a street with noticeable graffiti, litter all over the place, and houses with grass 5 feet tall, you’ll probably think that no one cares and lawlessness is accepted. Unfortunately, there are quite a few streets in Scranton that look like the example above. The good news is that there are more people who care about their community than the few bad apples. On council, I will work with the neighborhood associations, groups like Neighborworks, and the residents to fight blight in our city.
I would confidently say that most of the nuisance properties throughout the city are owned by out of state landlords that don’t care about Scranton, don’t care who they rent to, and don’t care about their tenants’ wellbeing. There are plenty of good landlords out there who do the right thing and provide quality rental properties; I fully support them. I don’t support the bad ones, on council I promise to crack down on the slumlords. We also need to encourage homeownership in the city. Homeowners have a stake in their property and build strong neighborhoods. Homeownership also allows Scranton residents to build wealth through their homes. On council, I will explore what types of additional benefits we can provide to owner occupied residences.
I am a law and order candidate. When crime does occur, the offenders must be punished to the full extent of the law. I will encourage strong partnerships between SPD, the Lackawanna County District Attorney’s Office, the Pennsylvania State Police, and our federal law enforcement partners to combat street gangs and other organized crime. There is a real gang presence in our area and that problem needs to be nipped in the bud immediately.
Tyler Day for Scranton City Council 