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Information night set for Dec. 6 at Luzerne County Community College

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Could ‘Sleeping Bob’ be ready to challenge Trump?

Monday wrapped up our two-part look into the Hazleton Police Department and what its officers face on a daily basis in an effort to keep the city of 25,000 safe.Even though we wrote six stories and a few hundred inches of copy on our all-access experience, we still have some more insights to share before we can officially declare the notebook empty.One of the things that struck us most is the passion these men and women all seem to have for their jobs, which are inherently dangerous and always will be.A few people in particular perfectly highlight what we&#8217;re trying to get at.First is Hazleton Chief Jerry Speziale, a decorated lawman who could have been retired for years if he wanted to be.But he doesn&#8217;t, far from it.On a chilly, bleak November night &#8212; a Sunday, no less &#8212; Speziale did hours of undercover work, then headed out on patrol.During a chase, he got in front of a fleeing suspect&#8217;s truck and performed a special weave maneuver to slow him. That helped end the pursuit and ensure no one was badly hurt.How many police chiefs at age 58 are still that hands-on?Simply put, the Mountain City is lucky to have Speziale, who has formed a close personal and working relationship with Mayor Jeff Cusat. The chief also seems to be well-liked and respected by the officers who work under him.Don&#8217;t undervalue those last two points.Just look at what happened in Wilkes-Barre when police leaders started clashing with rank-and-file officers and other in-fighting developed.It led to a mess that hopefully now is rectified with the appointment of Chief Joseph Coffay.We also were impressed with Hazleton Ptlm. Chris Zubris and Cpl. Keith McAlarney.Zubris was a total professional throughout the night, staying completely calm even during the wild chase.McAlarney has been shot in the line of duty and had another close call recently, yet it doesn&#8217;t slow him down one bit.All the officers mentioned above and others we met in Hazleton put a high value on public service, and residents benefit greatly because of that.Since the stories were published, we couldn&#8217;t help but notice some online commentators who continue to denigrate the Hispanic population of Hazleton and essentially blame them for the city&#8217;s plight.Hazleton was a mostly white town until the last 15 years or so. Now, it&#8217;s about 52 percent Hispanic and Latino, according to the U.S. Census Bureau&#8217;s 2017 estimate.We won&#8217;t wade too far into these racially charged waters, but we must point out what our journalists observed during their night with police.The Hispanic residents pulled over were polite and respectful. So much so, that police routinely cut them breaks for traffic violations.Meanwhile, the biggest trouble of the evening &#8212; a chase that led to a heroin bust &#8212; involved one white guy from Hazleton and another from Archbald.The truth is the real problem has nothing to do with skin color and everything to do with something that doesn&#8217;t discriminate across skin colors.One word: drugs.Police are quick to point out the vast majority of crime in Hazleton is related to drugs and has been for quite some time.That&#8217;s the case in many places and there is no single way to fight it.But one thing that would help is if people stopped framing it as a Hispanic problem or an immigrant problem.It&#8217;s everyone&#8217;s problem.And in Hazleton and elsewhere, it&#8217;s going take everyone working together &#8212; police and residents of all colors and creeds &#8212; to fix it.&#8212; Times Leader<style>
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<div class="neCaption">Hazleton Police officers discuss a tip at their station during a recent weekday. Times Leader staffers were recently given an inside look at the challenges the force faces every day to keep the city safe. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/web1_TTL11XX18police9.cmyk_.jpg</photo0><caption0>Hazleton Police officers discuss a tip at their station during a recent weekday. Times Leader staffers were recently given an inside look at the challenges the force faces every day to keep the city safe. </caption0><photoCredit0>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit0></div></div>

Our View: Hazleton’s problems are everyone’s problems