The report, done on behalf of the U.S. Department of Justice, was generated upon the request of U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Scranton, who has asked federal authorities to provide assistance to local law enforcement agencies.
“In many eastern Pennsylvania communities, the nature of drug distribution by gangs that originated in the New York area has shifted from occasional and transient operations to those that are more permanent and established,” the report says, noting gang members feel less law enforcement pressure in eastern Pennsylvania compared to a heavier authority presence in New York.
The report also mirrors what the local drug agent explained. The agent said that “gang members often facilitate their transition from the New York City areas to smaller drug markets … by forming relationships with local females.”
The local drug agent said there are too many small municipal police departments that do not have the manpower or money to conduct a long drug investigation.
Coincidently, the Pennsylvania Economy League in a June 2010 report indicated Luzerne County municipalities are employing fewer full-time police officers at the same time the sale of illegal drugs is rampant.
“In most of these towns, there is one cop on duty, and they’re usually busy with a domestic or a traffic stop,” the drug agent said. “When was the last time a single cop made a big bust? It doesn’t happen around here. And these gangs know it.”
A few dedicated municipal officers are members of the Luzerne County Drug Task Force with the state Office of Attorney General, which has coordinated large-scale drug sweeps arresting alleged gang members on drug trafficking charges in recent years.
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