Pubdate: Sat, 15 Dec 2007 Source: Morning Call (Allentown, PA) Copyright: 2007 The Morning Call Inc. Contact: http://www.mcall.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/275 Author: Paul Muschick, Of The Morning Call ALLENTOWN NEARS SLAYING RECORD Authorities Say Gangs, Drug Activity Push Up Homicide Numbers. An increase in suspected drug-or gang-related killings is driving up Allentown's homicide rate, with the city nearing its record of 21 slayings set two years ago. Through Friday, there have been 20 homicides in the city. Police believe 15 may have connections to drugs, gangs or both, said Ron Manescu, assistant police chief. That puts 75 percent of the slayings into that category, up from 67 percent last year and 48 percent two years ago. Manescu said it may be a change in the demeanor of street gangs and drug rings, not necessarily an increase in their numbers, that is driving up the killings. "I think it's getting more violent," he said. "They need to maintain their territory, so to speak. Any disagreements they may have with one another end up resulting very violently. They're not talking about this, obviously." Detectives are continuing to investigate the latest three killings, which happened Wednesday when two men were shot outside a corner grocery at Fourth and Allen streets and a man was found beaten and shot in the woods on the east side. Mayor Ed Pawlowski said he intends to unveil a "total" restructuring of the police force next year, designed to combat the underlying drug and gang problems leading to the homicides. Other changes will include instituting civilian patrols by area crime watch groups. Pawlowski said he spent his first two years in office reviving Allentown financially, and now will focus on making it safer and cleaning up its image as a crime-ridden city -- an image he said is unfair. Overall crime dropped 2.65 percent last year and is down 12.46 percent this year, he said. He lives in center city, and he said he feels safe and does not fear for his family. Pawlowski knows the city must improve its homicide rate to improve its image, and that the homicides make some residents worry. But he said the killings are not random. "It's very specific and deliberate toward people who are in gangs and drugs," Pawlowski said. "Mostly, it's bad guys shooting bad guys." Allentown police say they are doing what they can to stop the violence and to solve the crimes that have occurred. They are working with state and federal agencies, and with regional efforts such as the Route 222 anti-gang task force to fight problems stretching from Easton to Harrisburg. Allentown has started its own anti-gang task force and other specialized law enforcement units. It's setting up a system of surveillance cameras, one of which videotaped a car used in one shooting. Noted criminologist George Kelling is starting a yearlong study of the force, and could recommend changes to make it more efficient and effective. But Allentown police continue to work shorthanded because of a slew of controversial early retirements in the past few years. That problem may worsen next year. Hiring more officers, though, isn't the complete solution, Chief Roger MacLean said, noting that at least one study, done in the Midwest, shows that increasing patrols in a city does not help. And much of what happens after dark is driven by things beyond officers' control, authorities say, such as more troublemakers from New York moving here and the simple economic fact that teens can earn more cash selling drugs than working monotonous, minimum-wage jobs. "It's a whole societal issue that we've got to look at," Mac-Lean said. "We've got to attack it from all ends." This month, Pawlowski announced the creation of a city Office of Faith-Based Initiatives that will work with houses of worship to try to resolve some of the toughest problems. MacLean said the city intends to reinstitute its DARE and anti-gang programs in Allentown schools. Officials say drug-related homicides usually have some connection to street gangs. "I think it's obvious that we have gang issues and drug issues and they go hand-in-hand," Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin said. "Drugs drive people to get money. And how do you get money if you don't have a job? You rob a grocery store." Martin said the problem is regional, not in the sense that individual crimes are linked, but that the Lehigh Valley as a whole faces the same issues. Allentown's continuing struggle with gang violence does not mean regional anti-gang efforts are failing, he said. "What it shows is that the problem is a lot larger than people either appreciate or are willing to acknowledge," he said. "It's a tough problem." The region eventually will see results from the 222 anti-gang initiatives, said Robert Reed, deputy chief of the criminal division of the U.S. attorney's office in Philadelphia. "The ease of the commute from the New York area made the Lehigh Valley a ripe area for drug dealers," Reed said. "But you have to consider there are 37,000 police officers in New York City and 1,100 between Easton and Harrisburg. That presents a challenge to law enforcement, given the sheer size of the area and the number of officers, which is why we have the task force." The region's cities are relatively small and don't have a lot of minority officers, so it's tough for the officers to go undercover and infiltrate street gangs because they are known, Martin said. Couple that with an unusually large number of police retirements, and the challenge is magnified. Since late 2005, about 74 officers have retired under lucrative and controversial early retirement terms. Many have been replaced, often with younger, less experienced officers. But as of last week, the department was still short about 20 officers from next year's budgeted 207. Four years ago, there were 242. "Unfortunately, the Allentown Police Department just doesn't have the resources at the moment in terms of numbers and experience," Martin said. "They're doing a great job with what they have. Until they get their complement back up to where it should be, they're going to be very short of resources." Martin said the retirements left the detective squads particularly shorthanded. That can make it difficult to investigate crime, he said, because informants who had built relationships with detectives may be reluctant to trust replacements. The lack of city detectives is one reason Martin said he created the district attorney's homicide task force in 2005. Martin's office has hired some of the retired city detectives, meaning their skills and sources are being used in Allentown. Manescu said police investigate all crimes as quickly as possible, but with fewer investigators, they must prioritize. Perhaps where the shortage is felt the most is immediately after a crime occurs and officers make their initial push for information. He said the help from the district attorney's office has been important. Martin said he hopes tough prosecutions deter crime: "I hope it sends a message, but being realistic, I don't know." He said prosecutors weigh whether state or federal laws would carry the toughest penalties, and proceed accordingly. Gang members won't catch a break in either court. "We prosecute them vigorously," Martin said. "We don't permit any plea agreements in connection with gang members' cases." But even a major arrest doesn't always help reduce crime, Manescu said, because when those drug dealers go behind bars, other criminals fight for their customers. "The problem is that sometimes you get bit with your own success," Manescu said. "There's a jockeying of position to pick up that void. In an effort to pick up that business, it ends up getting violent." Anyone with information can call the anonymous tip line at 610-439-5911. Also crime prevention officer Tim Yanders, at 610-439-5915, can set up residents with a confidential ID number so they can call 911 and remain anonymous. [sidebar] ALLENTOWN HOMICIDES 2005 - 21 15 suspected gang and/or drug-related 2006 - 15 10 suspected gang and/or drug-related 2007 - 20 15 suspected gang and/or drug-related - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake