Friday, September 9, 2016

A disturbing trend

Every once in a while, I read the Mt. Lebanon Police Blotter. Lately, I have noticed a disturbing trend; juvenile arrests are increasing at an alarming rate. Young teens. Thursday September 1, 2016 through Wednesday, September 7, 2016 What the heck is going on? Has it always been like this? Or are things getting worse?

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Elaine...thanks for sharing this information with your readers. I have noticed too this astounding trend in juvenile arrests here in Mt. Lebanon and am very disturbed by it. One has to ask, "where are the parents?" I have also noticed much arrest activity over on Academy Ave. where commissioner Fraasch resides. I sent an email over to Chief Lauth asking for his thoughts thinking we may have a crime ring here but he never responded. Maybe we need another campaign in addition to Look Up Lebo.

Nick M.

Anonymous said...

Narcan Up Lebo

Anonymous said...

Commissioner Fraasch hasn't lived on Academy for quite some time. Her house was sold and she was the listing agent. Not sure where she moved to. I think the uptick in juvenile arrests are part of the trend of the MTLPD, which is to go after the easier targets with the least resistance. The parents will foot the fines and MTLPD can stack the blotter with their conquests.

Zak

Anonymous said...

Fraasch is renting on Academy Ave.

Anonymous said...

The Academy House is located on Academy Avenue.

Anonymous said...

What is the Academy House?

Nick M.

Anonymous said...

I need to make a correction in my post at 6:48am. For whatever reason I never received a reply from Chief Lauth but he did send one. Mr. McGill re-sent it to me tonight.

Here is the reply from Chief Lauth regarding my concerns on the juvenile arrests:

"Mr. Meduho,

You are correct. We have noticed a slight uptick in our dealings with juvenile-related crimes. Through the end of July 2016, the MLPD has investigated 65 incidents involving juveniles. During the same period of time in 2015, we were involved in 56 investigations involving juveniles. The offense categories that we are finding the highest statistics continue to be the same from year to year. These are lower level infractions involving disorderly conduct, harassment, theft, trespassing and drug offenses. We are very fortunate to be able to dedicate a Detective from our Investigative Services Unit to specifically investigate and follow up on incidents involving juveniles. This Detective works very closely with the Magistrate, Juvenile Courts, Juvenile Probation, the School District, Outreach Teen & Family Services, and County Children, Youth & Family Services to ensure that these juveniles are getting the assistance that they need. Our goal is to work collaboratively with these other resources to help correct behaviors and guide these juveniles toward a better path in life.

Our community, like several other communities throughout country, continues to be plagued by thefts from unlocked vehicles. This trend has direct ties to the current heroin epidemic that is sweeping our nation. Those who are addicted to drugs like heroin are desperate to get their fix and will resort to stealing things to quickly trade or pawn these items to get cash to pay for drugs. We continue to investigate these crimes and the perpetrators usually eventually get caught, but the next batch of thieves are ready to step in and take their place. Thefts from vehicles are easy crimes for low level drug addicts to commit. It does not take a career criminal to figure out that a lot of people in the suburbs regularly leave their vehicles unlocked making them easy targets. Not one of these thefts have involved a criminal actually forcing their way into a car. As a matter of fact, both of our recent stolen vehicles actually were not only unlocked, but also had the keys left inside. While we continue to investigate these crimes and make arrests, we also regularly ask our residents to assist us in deterring these incidents from occurring by simply locking their vehicles. Taking this simple step will help make our community less attractive to these thieves. Please help us spread the good word."


Nick M.

Unknown said...

To be fair, that was a detailed and respectful response from Chief Lauth.

The glaring hole here, however, is the request for help of "spreading the good word." The municipality just initiated such a campaign, but one that is targeted in the wrong direction. They chose to fund a campaign telling pedestrians to "look up," rather than car owners to "lock it up."

Anonymous said...

Hi Jason...I second that, both Chief Lauth and Officer Rayburg are both excellent at detailed and respectful responses. I have sent emails to both of them and they go the extra mile when replying. Even one on one communication is detailed in much the same manner.

The big challenge with the Look Up Lebo campaign is that it is directed more towards Lebo drivers and not the drivers who use Mt. Lebanon as a pass thru community whose goal it is to get to work and back home as quickly as possible. Unfortunately the number of pass thru drivers keeps increasing. The police department does have their hands full and I do respect them for at least trying to do something.

I like the idea of "Lock It Up Lebo"...maybe we can take the $3000 of wasted taxpayer dollars that we are using to send Susan Morgans to New York to a folio show that will have no benefit to Mt. Lebanon whatsoever and apply it to that.

Nick M.

Lebo Citizens said...

Now, Nick, you know that Mt. Lebanon will benefit when Susan Morgans will gush about her new, stylish New York City hairdo and we get to read about it in mtl Magazine. And we will be sure that NM doesn't get any credit for it. Have a nice day.
Elaine

Anonymous said...

God forbid that a Mt. Lebanon taxpayer/resident can’t suggest some common sense ideas to make the Look Up Lebo campaign more successful by suggesting we get stickers, bumper stickers, buttons, book bags, posters for business windows, key tags, napkins for local restaurants/bars, etc. to give away or sell at cost to not only plant the seed but to keep the idea growing and growing otherwise it will just end up as a here today gone tomorrow idea. The suggestion was made too to make it fun. Get spotted wearing a LUL button and you could win a prize. The prizes could be given to us by some of the local businesses in the way of a gift certificate.

But instead of doing all that and in my opinion spending money in a more intelligent way, we spend it this way:

$1100 for a pancake breakfast – complete waste of taxpayer money, not a priority by a long shot. A total slap in the face to the taxpayers.

$1500 for a luncheon in which some non-employees attended (for some strange reason) and just like the pancake breakfast was a complete waste of taxpayer money, not a priority by a long shot. A total slap in the face to the taxpayers.

$165 for a dinner that has nothing to with Mt. Lebanon and will bring absolutely no value to Mt. Lebanon or the taxpayers.

$3000 (estimate) of which $1000 has been spent so far to send Susan Morgans to New York to a Folio show which just like the $165 dinner for 3 will bring absolutely no value to Mt. Lebanon or the taxpayers. Just another slap in the face to the taxpayers.

And on top of all that Susan Morgans accidently replies to my email that was supposed to be forwarded to Keith McGill that partially stated:

“Please do not allow anyone to think any of these things were NM’s idea.”

“I am not answering his patronizing email”

“We know how to run a campaign and almost all the things he is suggesting take time and money to implement.”

“Maybe he could provide the funding for the miscellaneous promotional items.”

It's quite obvious that Susan does not know how to run a campaign...unless she counts killing deer as a campaign.

Hey…I tried.


Nick M.

Anonymous said...

It's good to read that the Mt. Lebanon detective dedicated to working with youth is also working closely with the magistrate, that lunatic Blaise Laratonda. Let's get him off that bench.

Susan Morgans is going to a hairstyling show in NYC? Great.

Buddy.

Lebo Citizens said...

Buddy, Susan Morgans is NOT going to a hairstyling show in NYC, but IS going to NYC in November on our dime to the Folio Show to network through lively luncheons, vibrant receptions, and dinner with new friends. See
Mrs. Morgans Goes To The Big Apple.

Our neighborhood has been trying to eliminate the upper parking lot in Rockwood Park for over thirty years because it contributes to this disturbing trend. Our commissioners will, undoubtedly, be rejecting the latest round of bids for the "greening of Rockwood Park" tomorrow night, but have no problem spending thousands of dollars on lively luncheons, vibrant receptions, and dinner with new friends.
Elaine

Anonymous said...

Hi Buddy at 3:50...the Folio show is a show/conference for large scale magazines and publishers to help with delivering bigger and better ideas to its readers...or something like that. More information can be found at http://www.folioshow.com/.

Like it states on the home page:

"The magazine media industry’s largest conference is back and in the fast-changing media world of 2016, it’s more imperative than ever. The Folio:Show brings together content creators and partners in a one of a kind collaborative environment, designed to inspire innovations in content creation, marketing, sales, content marketing, events, ad ops and more. The Folio: Show is your opportunity to connect with your peers, forge new partnerships and connect the dots for your growing business. Register your team by September 9 to secure our Advance Rate."

The information given at this type of show is more for large scale national media content providers, not little community type booklets such as ours that is mostly littered with advertisements from businesses. I'm not saying that nothing can be learned from this show but when you look at the direction the MtL magazine has gone the past number of years, to make a change now with an aged PIO manager who will be retiring soon and to spend what probably will be around $3000 of taxpayer money does not make one bit of sense when we there are more pressing needs for those taxpayer dollars. And even if this show could bring a new enlightening perspective to the MtL magazine, why would you send Susan Morgans? She is pushing 70 and when you see her now she has no energy to speak of and no desire to make such changes.

But hey, maybe if I was 70 and could still earn $109,000 plus have a $12,000 per year health plan and all the other benefits that go along with her position all at the expense of taxpayer money, I might stay on too.

This decision to spend this money in such an irresponsible way is like one of those back room Friday night secretive deals hoping that nobody catches it. This should make every Mt. Lebanon taxpayer's blood boil.

Nick M.



Unknown said...

I prefer Green Tree's fact-based newsletter. Costs -- all included -- less than $500 over the course of a year... MTL Magazine - Over $200K.

Anonymous said...

This is actually funny and very disturbing at the same time -- the police blotter is no longer 2 pages long. They have changed font sizes. OMG. Check it out.