YOUNGSTOWN Mayor stresses collaboration

Solutions to crime are collaborative, not unilateral, the mayor told the crime prevention task force.
By ROGER G. SMITH
CITY HALL REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- People expecting police alone to solve all of Youngstown's crime issues will be disappointed, Mayor George M. McKelvey says.
Instead, the combined efforts of authorities and community groups such as nonprofit social agencies and block watches will make the difference, he said.
Solutions are collaborative, not unilateral, McKelvey said Friday. He was addressing one such group, which bears his title: the Mayor's Task Force on Crime and Violence Prevention.
"It will never work that way. It is 'What are we going to do to solve our problems,'" he said.
Such cooperation is having an effect, McKelvey said. Crimes such as murder, rape, robbery, assault, burglary and auto theft have declined substantially since 1995, he said.
Despite that, surveys still list Youngstown among the cities with the highest crime rates.
Minority police chief
Police Chief Robert Bush Jr. has received a positive reception from residents, McKelvey said. In April, Bush became the city's first minority police chief.
Bush and the police department are being as proactive as they can be, McKelvey said.
They focus on petty crime and deterring it before it leads to bigger problems, he said. Creating an atmosphere that isn't conducive to crime is the goal, he said.
Courts need to play a part, too, McKelvey said. Petty crime must be taken seriously, he said. That sends a message to the community that such illegal activity won't be tolerated, he said.
rgsmith@vindy.com