Nine people have been arrested and charged with misdemeanors or felonies related to prostitution and drug activity at a Lackawanna, NY, seniors housing complex.
Members of the Lackawanna Police Department and its detective division had been investigating Parkview Towers for three weeks after the Lackawanna Municipal Housing Authority received several resident complaints about drug activity in several apartments and in the parking lot, the police department posted on its Facebook page.
“During the investigation the officers identified several female individuals who were staying with tenants on the housing facility and were engaging in prostitution and trafficking of crack cocaine and powder cocaine to other tenants in the facility,” the department wrote.
Nine men and women ranging in age from 24 to 42 were arrested on charges ranging from criminal possession of a controlled substance, prostitution, promoting prostitution, aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, felony criminal possession of cocaine, felony criminal possession of a narcotic drug, felony criminal possession of a narcotic drug with intent to sell, obstruction of governmental administration and endangering the welfare of a child.
Norman Polanski Jr,. executive director of the housing authority, told TV station WKBY that the agency is moving to evict those involved, has replaced door keys with key fobs and is enforcing the complex’s ‘no long-term visitor’ policy.
The police department said it continues to investigate and that is expects additional arrests and evictions.
