HAZLETON -- The mayor-elect of Hazleton campaigned on the issue of fighting increased violent crime in the city, and it appears the first change he wants to make involves the police department itself.
The newly elected mayor Jeff Cusat promises when he formally takes office in two months, the first thing he wants to do is make sure there is at least one officer at the police station to help people who come here.
When people go to Hazleton City Hall to see the police, they are not greeted by an officer at a window but instead by a pay phone and a sign that says "Call 911."
Four years ago, the dispatcher's window at the Hazleton Police Department was boarded up, blocking direct access to police.
So to talk to an officer at the station, you have to call 911 and an emergency dispatcher sends an officer to meet you at the station.
"It sucks. I'm sorry about the word, but I'm pretty sure that if you need a police officer or something and you need to come and get help right away," said Hazleton resident Angel Rodriguez.
The city's current mayor made the decision to eliminate a dedicated officer at the police station.
"This has worked out well for us," said Hazleton Mayor Joe Yannuzzi. "It has saved an awful lot of money and it has put more police on the streets."
The city's newly elected mayor plans to reverse all of this, take down the board on the window and put an officer behind it 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
"It's something I want to address right off the bat," said Mayor-elect Jeff Cusat. "I'm not going to wait around to see if it happens. My first thing is to go open city hall 24/7."
Cusat ran to be the next mayor of Hazleton on a campaign to combat crime in the city. For him, delivering on that promise starts with opening up city hall and the police station to the people.
"We want to build communication between the people. If the people know what's wrong and what other people are doing and get that communication, I think the citizens will be more willing to help the police department and more tips come in," Cusat added.
Mayor-elect Cusat admits he hasn't figured out how he will pay for this new change, opening City Hall around the clock and having a dedicated officer there, but even if or when he does, he then has to get the plan approved by Hazleton City Council.
