The number of violent crime offenses in Scranton has dropped over the course of Mayor Paige Cognetti’s tenure, during which the mayor’s administration has invested more than $5 million for police training, recruitment and technology.

There were 1,199 violent offenses in Scranton in 2019, the year before Cognetti took office, according to data from the Pennsylvania Uniform Crime Reporting System, a database managed by the Pennsylvania State Police. By 2025, that number had dropped to 248. So far, there have been 146 violent offenses in 2026. 

The Federal Bureau of Investigation categorizes violent offenses as murder, manslaughter, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault.

Property offenses, which include burglary, larceny theft and motor vehicle theft, are also down, dropping from 1,347 offenses in 2019 to 995 in 2025, according to the same state police database.

This decrease in crime follows the Cognetti administration’s investment of more than $5 million in the local police force. According to a 2025 piece published in the Wilkes-Barre Times Leader, Cognetti said her administration has worked to upgrade the police’s vehicle fleet, including adding 51 new police vehicles equipped with smart technology since 2023. 

The Scranton Police Department’s operating budget has been increased by 22% under the Cognetti administration.

The mayor and her administration are also working to secure funding for and open a real-time crime center in downtown Scranton. RTCCs are centralized hubs that collect and monitor live technology feeds from various agencies and private sources. Scranton Police Chief Thomas Carroll told the Scranton Times-Tribune the center would allow law enforcement to monitor emergencies in real time and respond to them more quickly because the center would include an ability for police to track public cameras, among other technology.

“Scranton Police Department is incredible, as you all know,” Cognetti said during her State of the City address in April. “We would put our police department up against anyone, led by Chief Tom Carroll, who we’re so fortunate to have at the helm.”

“When we came in, there were some very positive things. Body cams were in place, which is really, really important, but some of the other technologies were limited,” Cognetti continued. 

Cognetti said her administration has worked to address challenges recruiting police, including removing the requirement that police live in the city. The mayor highlighted that the Scranton Police Department in 2025 earned its first-ever accreditation from the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association. That accreditation process was set up to recognize police departments with policy manuals reflecting modern-day policing practices that promote community trust, according to a press release from the city of Scranton.

“We have made it even less desirable to commit a crime here with all of the great technology we have, the great training we have, more officers on the beat, and it’s been a really exciting thing, capped off by that accreditation last October,” the mayor said.

Cognetti, the Democratic nominee running against incumbent Republican Rep. Rob Bresnahan to represent the 8th Congressional District in Northeast Pennsylvania, has landed support from law enforcement in her bid for the House. In a July letter published in the Wilkes-Barre Citizens’ Voice, former Scranton Police Officer Robert McAndrew lauded Cognetti’s public safety efforts.

“As a former Scranton police officer for over 27 years, I think I can speak on public safety and the law,” McAndrew wrote. “And as a long-time and current resident of Scranton, I feel very safe with our current police administrators and Paige Cognetti as mayor. For the past six years I have observed Paige Cognetti completely turn our city around. The Scranton police department has been very commendable and courageous in its duty to keep Scranton safe, and Paige Cognetti has supported their efforts 100%.”

Bresnahan, who defeated the Democratic incumbent, Matt Cartwright, with 50.7% of the vote in the 2024 election, has also received support from police. In June, Bresnahan’s campaign announced the Republican candidate had received endorsements from the Pennsylvania State Troopers Association and the Fraternal Order of Police Lodges 38, 43 and 46. 

“Throughout your service to the citizens of Pennsylvania, you have demonstrated a steadfast commitment to public safety and responsible governance,” Pennsylvania State Troopers Association President Stephen Polishan wrote in the organization’s endorsement letter. “Your willingness to engage with law enforcement professionals, listen to the concerns of first responders, and advocate for policies that enhance public safety has earned the respect of our membership.”

Bresnahan has worked to obtain federal funding for the Scranton Police Department, and announced the appropriation of $500,000 at the start of 2026 for technology and equipment.

“Public safety is not a talking point, it is a real concern for families in Scranton and our region,” Bresnahan said in a February press release. “Securing $500,000 for the Scranton Police Department is about making sure our officers have the equipment and support they need to keep our communities safe.”

In March 2025, Bresnahan voted for H.R. 1968, which was signed into law as the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extension Act of 2025. The law canceled previous fiscal year earmarks, including funding for local police departments. For example, it zeroed out funding for the Justice Department’s COPS Tech program that provided funding for technology and equipment for local law enforcement.