Pocono News Section

Courthouse Crimewatch

Courthouse Crimewatch - Friday, November 13, 2009 at 6:55PM EST

Reported by: Andy Mehalshick
Friday, Nov 13, 2009 @ 06:55pm EST
WILKES-BARRE, LUZERNE COUNTY- There's a unique crime watch effort at the Luzerne County courthouse.

It comes amid an F. B.I. investigation that has 19 people facing federal charges.

Gene Stilp is well-known around the state as an advocate of the public.

He's a fighter against taxpayers, waste and corruption.

Friday he brought his latest efforts to the Luzerne County courthouse.

Some legal experts have called it the epic-center of judicial corruption in the United States.

Gene Stilp from the Taxpayers and Ratepayers United said, "I don't think the bottom has been reached, so we are starting a crime watch inside the courthouse. People see what's going on. Lots of times it's never reported so we're giving people, workers, employees etc.. a chance to confidentially report things they have seen."

Stilp posted the crime watch posters throughout the courthouse and handed them to some employees.

He even ran into Commissioner Steve Urban.

Urban said, "Crime watch inside this building is sort of appropriate these days. I encourage people to call the FBI and the media. I think people in the county are disgusted with what's going on."

Stilp has done this before in Harrisburg.

Stilp said, "We did this at the state capitol after the "Bonusgate scandal" started. We set up a capitol crime watch. It turned up some good leads. We thought it was appropriate to do here."