Police see success in new crime initiative

The initiative will last through the summer.
& lt;a href=mailto:jgoodwin@vindy.com & gt;By JOHN W. GOODWIN JR & lt;/a & gt;.
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
BOARDMAN -- Township police are about two months into a summerlong campaign to curb crime, and they're saying the initiative is shaping up to be a success with substantial drug arrests in June.
Township trustees gave the police department a $50,000 grant to cover overtime for officers in the Street Crimes Unit while they focus on crime in the northern end of the township. Police said problems with drugs and other illegal activity had become an issue and they needed to get a handle on the problems.
Capt. Jack Nichols said the program is a success. He said that with the Hot Rod Supernational show and officer training, the program got off to a slow start, but is picking up.
Although total June arrest statistics under the initiative haven't been compiled, the Street Crimes Unit did make 25 arrests involving drug activity during the month.
Arrests and citations
According to a complete report of police activity in May, the first official month for the Street Crimes Unit, township police made 16 felony and misdemeanor arrests, issued nearly 40 citations and seized weapons, drugs and stolen material under the initiative. Nichols expects total arrests in June to be higher than the May numbers.
Other departments -- Ohio State Highway Patrol and Beaver Township Police -- involved in the initiative made 12 arrests and issued about 95 traffic citations.
"These numbers do not represent the total number of arrests made in the township. These arrest are over and above the normal arrests made by officers working the turns, they are a direct result of the additional funding made available by trustees," he said. "This will show trustees and the public what they are getting for their overtime buck."
Recent arrest
Most recently Jeremy Democko, 25, of Struthers Road, New Middletown, was charged with felony attempted possession of a controlled substance, tampering with evidence and misdemeanor resisting arrest after an arrest by the Streets Crime Unit. He pleaded innocent, and a preliminary hearing is set for Aug. 18.
According to police reports, officers said they watched Democko conduct a drug transaction in the parking lot of a store in the 700 block of South Avenue. Democko, reports say, ran from officers but was caught in the 900 block of Trailwood Drive, where he was arrested after a brief struggle. Reports say that while struggling with officers, he also swallowed a pill he was carrying.
Nichols said it is hard to say what effect the arrests have made on overall crime here, but he said a few months of consistent arrests, and residents will see the difference.
& lt;a href=mailto:jgoodwin@vindy.com & gt;jgoodwin@vindy.com & lt;/a & gt;