Friday, June 20, 2003
YOUNGSTOWN -- Mahoning County received a $246,500 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice toward a program to reduce gun violence in the county, said U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Niles, D-17th.
The grant will pay for one full-time juvenile gun prosecutor and one full-time gun investigator in the county prosecutor's office. The juvenile gun prosecutor will pursue cases involving those who supply firearms to minors and young adults.
Prosecutor Paul Gains said the positions will be filled with new hires, rather than transferring current employees.
"There's a lot of legwork in tracing those guns. We need someone to work on that full-time," he said.
Gains said the new employees won't be hired until the county receives the funding, and he's not sure when that will be.
The grant will enable the county prosecutor's office to conduct traces on all firearms confiscated during juvenile offenses and to take action against those who illegally supply guns to minors.
"The whole idea, absolutely, is to get guns off the streets," Gains said.
The county also received a federal grant in October 2001, which has been for similar gun enforcement in adult crimes. Gains said that grant, for $120,000 paid over three years, has led to a successful collaboration between his office and the U.S. Department of Justice.