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Wyoming Area School Board approves new contract for teachers through 2019

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Las Vegas welcomes Raiders with open arms, big hopes

<p>Luzerne County District Attorney Stefanie Salavantis had predicted her office&#8217;s takeover of a drug task force from the state last year would get more dealers and drugs off the streets.</p><p>And in just two months under county control in 2016, the task force made a total of 34 arrests, Salavantis announced during her annual report to county council Tuesday.</p><p>In addition, investigators confiscated 26.8 grams of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid painkiller largely blamed for the county&#8217;s record overdose death total last year.</p><p>Also seized during these arrests: 6 pounds of marijuana, 157.8 grams of heroin, 20 grams of cocaine and 65.6 grams of crack.</p><p>Council Vice Chairman Tim McGinley asked how many of the arrests resulted in convictions. Salavantis said the cases are still working their way through the courts.</p><p>Meanwhile, council members Stephen A. Urban and Kathy Dobash believe more must be done to help victims of robberies and burglaries related to the drug addiction crisis.</p><p>Salavantis estimated approximately 85 percent of county crime is tied to addiction because people are trying to &#8220;feed their habit.&#8221;</p><p>Two Wilkes-Barre residents attended Tuesday&#8217;s meeting to complain about burglaries in the area of Darling Street that have not resulted in arrests.</p><p>Urban said the DA should increase coordination of theft investigations and push for more fingerprinting at the scene, suggesting creation of a robbery task force.</p><p>Salavantis said she can make recommendations to municipal departments, but they are ultimately outside her control.</p><p>She said she would &#8220;love&#8221; to create a robbery task force but cannot fund it with continued budget cuts. The county&#8217;s drug task force is covered by state funds, she noted.</p><p>Her 2016 budget was $5.4 million.</p><p><strong>&#8216;They&#8217;re not leaving&#8217;</strong></p><p>Councilman Robert Schnee said more funding is needed to put additional police on the streets.</p><p>Like the two Wilkes-Barre men attending Tuesday&#8217;s meeting, thousands more throughout the county have &#8220;changed their way of life&#8221; in response to drugs, burglaries and other crime by locking their doors, keeping windows closed in the summer and forbidding children from playing outside, said Schnee, who is from the Hazleton area.</p><p>Schnee called for legislators to earmark millions of dollars in gambling revenue for beefing up law enforcement, which he deemed a more pressing need than some &#8220;shovel ready&#8221; construction projects that have been funded by casino revenue. If not, he believes a $20 tax on each county resident solely for police should be considered.</p><p>&#8220;We can&#8217;t keep turning our heads to what&#8217;s going on here,&#8221; Schnee said, calling on police for help to get dealers &#8220;the hell out of here.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;They&#8217;re not leaving,&#8221; Urban responded.</p><p>Councilman Harry Haas asked what happens with the cash seized in drug cases.</p><p>Salavantis estimated about $20,000 was confiscated in the 34 task force arrests. The money must be kept in escrow until the cases are resolved and a judge rules if the money must be forfeited or returned.</p><p>If the money is forfeited, state law requires the district attorney to use it for specific purposes related to drug investigations, such as the purchase of bulletproof vests for police.</p><p>Haas suggested Salavantis submit a request to create a robbery task force in the 2018 budget so council members can weigh the option, predicting it would be an &#8220;exorbitant cost.&#8221;</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Salavantis </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/web1_salavantis02.jpg</photo0><caption0>Salavantis </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Jennifer Learn-Andes</p><p>jandes@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>For other local news stories, <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/category/local" target="_blank">click here</a>.</p><p>Reach Jennifer Learn-Andes at 570-991-6388 or on Twitter @TLJenLearnAndes.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Luzerne County District Attorney highlights progress getting dealers and drugs off the streets