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Neighbors press Scranton council for cameras after vandalism at Pretzel Park
Summary
Residents told the council that Pretzel Park has been repeatedly vandalized, uprooting newly planted trees and moving benches; neighborhood leaders urged the administration to install cameras and provide a clear timeline for action.
Multiple neighborhood leaders told the Scranton City Council on June 2 that Pretzel Park has suffered repeated vandalism and called on the city to install cameras.
"We've been requesting cameras at Pretzel Park for at least three years... I'm tired of hearing that... it's in the IT budget," said Laura Augustini, president of the Greenidge Neighborhood Association, describing a recent incident in which a bench was moved into a planting bed and two newly planted trees were knocked down.
Doris Kleski, who lives in the neighborhood, said she saw television coverage of the vandalism and urged the council to press administration officials for cameras. "I don't understand why the city cannot have cameras at the park," she told the council, adding that increased patrols had been promised but were not sufficient.
Chris Rumor, vice president of the Greenidge Neighborhood Association, supported the camera request and suggested that linked cameras would be more effective and less labor-intensive than relying solely on police patrols.
Councilmembers acknowledged the complaints and asked staff to provide a status update. Councilmember Flynn asked administration staff to explain the holdup and requested specific answers and a timeline for Pretzel Park's cameras by the end of the week; staff indicated they would follow up.
Neighbors raised related concerns about long-running utility work and street closures on Wyoming and Electric avenues affecting access and vehicle damage; councilmembers asked the water utility and DPW for milling and paving schedules to share with residents.
What comes next: Council requested an update from the IT department and DPW and asked that the administration provide a timeline and status for cameras at Pretzel Park and other parks; the council set an expectation for an update by the end of the week.
