SCRANTON, Pa. — As the city of Scranton continues to combat juvenile and gang violence, top officials are now taking a new approach to help stop this problem in its tracks.
Scranton has seen five homicides so far in 2024. The spike began after the shooting of Scranton Police Detective Kyle Gilmartin back in January. Police have called that shooting 'gang-related.'
"Kyle Gilmartin is always our motivation now on this. So yes, it has greatly impacted us and our abilities. We've always been doing the job, and now we're hyper-focused," said Scranton Police Chief Tom Carroll.
Troy Smith from the Harrisburg area focuses on group violence, including gangs. He says Scranton's in a unique position. Smith says these groups recruit kids, even as young as 10 years old.
"Your area deals with a more national gang level. You're dealing with a lot of Bloods, Crips. Latin kings are everywhere in Pennsylvania but you have more sets up in that area because they're coming primarily out of New York, said Smith.
Officials say a lack of detention beds is contributing to this problem of juvenile and gang-related violence in Scranton. It's a topic uncovered in the Action 16's Investigates, Kids for Cash: The New Crisis series. Right now, there's nowhere across 13 counties in Northeastern Pennsylvania to house the most violent youth offenders. Oftentimes, the young offenders will be sent hours or states away or even be sent back home.
Those who work with gangs across the state say the gangs have figured out the system.
"A lot of times, the kids are the ones that are putting the work on the streets, stealing the cars, selling the drugs. A lot of times, they're the ones involved in the shootings and the drive-bys," said Smith. "They will receive a much shorter sentence."
To curb that ongoing gang violence seen around the city, Scranton's top officials say they're working to implement a new Group Violence Initiative (GVI).
The playbook is already up and running in cities nationwide and in Pennsylvania, including Philadelphia, Harrisburg, and York.
The city of York, Pennsylvania, implemented a Group Violence Initiative about eight years ago. It involves several agencies across the city working together and taking to the streets to combat this issue.
York officials say it works, cutting shootings in half and reducing homicides by more than 75 percent.
They say one way to a person's heart is through their stomach.
In York, Tiff Lowe serves up much more than just a snack. Lowe is the project manager of the city's Group Violence Initiative.
"I know what it's like to be looked at differently because of where you live or the actions of what we do without people asking the questions of why," Lowe said.
It's the GVI's job to find out why. GVI brings together law enforcement, social services, and the community to combat gang violence. It started in York eight years ago when arrests weren't working.
"A lot of times, the kids are the ones that are putting the work on the streets, stealing the cars, selling the drugs. A lot of times, they're the ones involved in the shootings and the drive-bys," said Troy Smith.
"50 percent of violent crimes are coming at the hands of juveniles, but we're a system that's not prepared to deal with juveniles doing that level of violence," said York Police Commissioner Michael Muldrow.
Together, they work with about 400 kids in York, many of them affiliated with gangs and gun crimes.
"It's not as complex as what it sounds like going out and talking to different gangs. We'll go out and talk to different people from different sides of town in one day, and it's nothing. We're just talking to people with different problems," said Lt. Matthew Irvin, GVI law enforcement lead.
Scranton is working to find out the reason behind the recent string of juvenile and gang violence, a problem thrust into the spotlight after Scranton Police Det. Kyle Gilmartin was shot in January.
"We will arrest the bad guys all the time. However, if there's a way we can support preventing that in the first place, preventing the crime, we are there as well," said Scranton Police Chief Thomas Carroll.
Mayor Paige Cognetti has been working with police and the Scranton School District to bring this Group Violence Initiative to Scranton.
"Every conversation, every dialogue—that strengthens our ability to understand what our needs are, understand what the gaps are in the community. I think it shows the kids, the parents, the residents that are feeling fear, I think it shows them that we're moving in the right direction and we're addressing it," said Mayor Cognetti.
It's work like Tiff Lowe's that's getting proven results. Since she joined GVI three years ago, homicides in York have dropped by 75 percent, and shootings have been cut in half.
"What you create with an initiative like this is a platform that gives you an ability to be able to change behavior collectively and fight against that negative culture that's promoting guns and promoting retaliation," Commissioner Muldrow said.
But the most impressive work doesn't involve numbers.
"That's trust. That's building a relationship," Lowe said. "They understand that they can't shoot up my city. They understand that the law enforcement will come and get them. But they also understand that Miss Tiff will be right there once they arrest me."
A simple snack can take away those questions and fill them with a little bit of hope when it's needed most.
"There's so much hope in Scranton. There's so much hope in Harrisburg, in Reading, wherever it's at," Lowe added. "You just need the right people to chase it and to pull it out."
"All of our kids have a bright future. We have to make sure we give them the tools to achieve that," Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti said.
York's Group Violence Initiative has been up and running for nearly ten years and hasn't always been this successful. Many officials attribute the success to Tiffani Lowe's passion and dedication.
Scranton officials hope to have the city's initiative and the right people in place sometime within the next two years.
"I have never seen this investment before, and it's looking deep into our future. It impacts our future going forward quite a way. We had some short-term thinking in the past, so I'm pleased this is going to be long-term," Chief Carroll said. "I look forward to the results."