New Castle residents may breathe a little easier, now that arrests have been made in a series of arsons.
But criminal charges filed against six adults and two juveniles hardly constitutes the end of the story or a reason to assume there will be no more fires. For one thing, the individuals charged are innocent until proven guilty. Second, police say their investigation is continuing and more arrests may be forthcoming.
Still, last week’s roundup of suspects is good news in a community that can always use some. The arrests appear to be the result of an alert citizenry, old-fashioned police work and perhaps a little luck.
We also should mention that the city is fortunate there were no serious injuries from these fires. Things could have been much worse.
While there may be good reason to celebrate the break in the case, we must stress that the underlying conditions behind these arsons continue to be concerns in New Castle. Abandoned houses, dilapidated properties and a financially distressed local government and populace were all factors in this series of crimes. The potential for more mischief is quite real.
We note there has been a positive response to these fires. Not only have the city and its departments been diligent in fighting the fires and targeting the culprits, but the public also has been engaged.
The I CARE House in particular has sought to find a silver lining in the arson cloud by bringing residents together. The non-profit organization has encouraged people to take a broader view of the challenges New Castle faces and develop ways to address them.
Working to minimize some of the factors behind these arsons will produce multiple benefits. These mesh with proposals to create stronger standards for landlords in the city.
So long as New Castle has a glut of older homes, and they are not being improved or properly maintained, they will continue to be what the law terms “attractive nuisances.” Allegedly, at least some of the arsons in the city were linked to efforts to remove copper plumbing from abandoned houses. This is an ongoing crime, often attributed to drug users seeking quick cash to fund their habits.
It’s not unreasonable to see New Castle’s arsons as the tip of a larger iceberg of community problems. Stamping out these fires must be seen as part of a broader effort at civic engagement. We hope that recent efforts along these lines will continue.
Editorials
EDITORIAL: Clearing the air
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Postal service’s financial woes not of their own making
It’s no secret that the U.S. Postal Service is experiencing financial troubles. One of the consequences of a deficit in the billions of dollars soon will become apparent in New Castle, when the city’s mail processing facility on Cascade Street is shut down.
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Our Opinion: UPMC, Highmark tangle for dominance. But what about the public?
Health insurance recipients in western Pennsylvania received some good news recently. The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and Highmark Inc., the two local behemoths of the insurance and health care industry, reached an agreement to extend their contract with each other. The 18-month extension will be good through 2014.
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Our Opinion: Annual Jack Butz Award honors community involvement
During his lifetime, Jack Butz was known as someone who donated much to the community. And even now, years after his passing, Butz continues to give. We refer to the annual Jack Butz Award, where a local citizen is recognized for his or her contributions to New Castle and the surrounding area.
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Our Opinion: Why would New Castle weaken architecture standards?
There are times when communities must decide what they want to be. For New Castle, one of those times is arriving later this month. New Castle City Council is considering changes to the municipal zoning ordinance that will have the effect of seriously weakening standards for the North Hill Historic District.
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Our Opinion: A box from 1914 says something about the past — and today
The former Elks building in downtown New Castle was demolished months ago, but one bit of business remained. And city officials addressed that last week, when a time capsule from 1914 was opened.
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Our Opinion: Awareness campaigns protect generations of children
The first step in solving a problem is recognizing that it exists. That was a major factor behind the recent Walk for Justice at Cascade Park, organized by the Crisis Shelter of Lawrence County.
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Our Opinion: Secret Service scandal symbolizes breaches of public trust
There are a couple of pieces of good news regarding the Secret Service sex scandal. The first is that an investigation has determined the women hired as prostitutes by Secret Service agents in Columbia apparently were just that.
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Our Opinion: Municipalities save money with shared services
In difficult financial times, finding ways to use tax dollars more efficiently is an essential government task. That’s why we were pleased to learn that Shenango Township and South New Castle Borough have agreed to share police services.
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Our Opinion: State politicians use campaign funds in criminal cases
If you want to wage a spirited defense against criminal charges, you need money. A good attorney, after all, isn’t cheap. But if you are an influential elected official in Pennsylvania facing trial, this problem comes with a ready solution. All you have to do is tap into your campaign funds.
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Our Opinion: Resignation in Neshannock highlights leadership issue
With Neshannock Township now seeking a new manager, we hope the supervisors have learned something from their experiences so far. That’s because their efforts to date on selecting a manager for the municipality haven’t gone very well. Ironically, the questionable practices and decision-making displayed by the supervisors demonstrate the need for sound management in the township.
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Postal service’s financial woes not of their own making
