Scranton, the Electric City and childhood home of President Joe Biden, will likely make political headlines throughout the 2024 election season.
That’s largely because it’s located in northeastern Pennsylvania, one of the most dynamic regions in the all-important swing state. The city was visited by both major party candidates during the 2020 campaign and has already hosted a two-day presidential visit in 2024.
A major problem for Scranton and its surrounding communities is violent crime. In the first five months of 2024, the city recorded five homicides, far surpassing any annual total in recent memory.
During 2023, Scranton recorded three homicides and, in previous years, one to two homicides per year. It was not uncommon for the city to have no homicides in a year, as was the case in 2019.
Scranton residents are not used to this type of carnage so close to home. In March, a young man, José Miguel Tatis-Camilo, was shot and killed during an armed robbery at a gas station convenience store; he died a few days later. He was in the wrong place, at the wrong time.
A few days later, a man was killed in his home during a drug-related robbery. In April, a gang-related beating and shooting occurred near a city park, leaving one person dead. Later in April, during an argument between two siblings, a man took his brother’s life. Finally, in May, an unconscious man was found in a car; he had been shot following a drug deal gone bad.
Other acts of violence have also unnerved Scrantonians. Carjacking is common; one resident was carjacked at gunpoint. The year 2024 got off to a horrific start when Scranton police detective Kyle Gilmartin was shot twice in the head during a police investigation into gang-related shootings early one January morning.
Miraculously, the detective survived. Later that month, a juvenile was arrested outside Scranton High School with a gun; he planned to shoot a member of a rival gang. In April, participants in a Scranton Preparatory School lacrosse game had to be escorted to their vehicles by police following gunfire nearby. In June, Scranton police and SWAT team members faced gunfire while responding to a domestic incident.
Scranton residents wonder when the anarchy will end. County commissioners recently approved separating a wing of the county jail to house juveniles because there is no more room in juvenile detention centers.
The crime wave has been eye-opening for many longtime Scranton residents. Until recently, gang problems and shootings were not a concern for most.
It’s true that many parts of the United States have seen an increase in crime since the pandemic, and it’s also true that many other small and mid-sized cities would envy Scranton’s relative safety even now. However, this is little consolation for residents who are now afraid to walk in their own neighborhood.
It remains to be seen whether crime concerns will have an impact on the electorate. National polls consistently show that voters trust Republicans, often by a large margin, to fight crime.
Most Scranton-area Democrats, who have controlled city and county government for decades, take a tougher stance on crime and pro-police than many of their extreme counterparts left that are being heard in other regions of the country.
The Scranton area may be crucial in races that decide the balance of power in Congress. Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Casey is, like Biden, a Scranton native. He faces a tough reelection battle against Republican Dave McCormick.
The region is also home to one of the most competitive U.S. House races, where newcomer Rob Bresnahan is running against longtime Democratic Rep. Matt Cartwright. Scranton and its surrounding communities are critical to Cartwright’s re-election chances.
If the general election results in the Scranton area are a few shades of blue lighter than normal in this traditionally Democratic area, that could be enough to put Bresnahan over the top, since the rest of the district is more Republican-leaning.
Crime concerns could even impact a crucial race for state president. Currently, Democrats hold one seat in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. The 118th District is one of the key seats Republicans are seeking to flip. The 118th, represented by Rep. Jim Haddock, does not include Scranton but does include towns that directly border it. It’s easy to imagine voters worrying about the impact of violence on their communities.
However, the editorial board of a local newspaper is having none of this. In its May 26, 2024 edition, the newspaper urged its readers: “Don’t buy the rhetoric; crime is down across the board.
The editorial states that public concerns about crime are “exaggerated,” amplified by “partisan rhetoric.” The newspaper assures Scrantonians that “our neighborhoods are safer than they have been in more than a decade.”
Come November, we’ll know whether the newspaper or the public is right about crime in Scranton. And this verdict could well have ramifications beyond Pennsylvania’s sixth-largest city.
Tyler Day has lived in Northeastern Pennsylvania his entire life and became active in local politics in college during the 2012 election cycle. He currently works in economic development and previously served as chief of staff to a Pennsylvania state representative. Tyler and his wife live in Scranton.
Reprinted with permission from RealClearPennsylvania.
New York Post
