Banquet addresses high homicide rate

Two officials said cooperation is needed to curb crime.
By NANCY TULLIS
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Under the cloud of 29 homicides in the city so far in 2005, Mike O'Brien is trying to make a difference, one person at a time.
O'Brien graduated from Youngstown State University in May with a bachelor's degree in social work. Through Catholic Charities, his mission is to help people make a successful transition from prison to society so they will not return to crime.
O'Brien was among about 50 people who attended Monday's Youngstown Mayor's Task Force on Crime and Violence Prevention ninth annual Peace Award Recognition Banquet at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish Hall. The theme was "Prevention is Getting Involved."
Circular pattern
O'Brien works with people released from prison through a state program called The Path. He said helping people find a home and a job is a good crime deterrent.
People released from prison or jail often have mental health issues and if they don't know where to go for help they can end up homeless, he said. Without an address it is difficult to secure employment, and with no money, they turn to crime.
Also in attendance was Jessica Gallo, a victim's advocate for Help Hotline, the Valley's 24-hour crisis hotline. She said she receives calls that range from people seeking restitution for property damage or loss due to vandalism to the families of homicide victims or people considering suicide.
Sometimes people need to know where to go for help; other times they just want to talk, she said.
State Sen. Robert F. Hagan of Youngstown, D-33rd, and a Youngstown mayoral candidate, and Youngstown City Council President James E. Fortune Sr. were among the local officials at the dinner.
Officials' take
Hagan said he is concerned about the city's violent crime rate. He said the Mayor's Task Force is a good tool for people to come together to discuss the problem and solutions.
"We need to connect the dots," Hagan said, noting that some agencies are not connected and the gap creates duplication of services.
Public and private entities could be much more effective with more communication. "We're all working toward the same goal, reducing the unbelievable increase in violent crime," he said.
Fortune said the city's violent crime rate is the result of many factors, including job losses and the loss of state and federal funding. People who should be incarcerated are on the streets committing more crime because the county can't afford to operate local lockups according to state and federal mandates, Fortune said.
He said when people are uncertain about their economic future they will not support local tax issues, which only compounds the shortfall.
"The commissioners have to deal with a real [funding] mess and I don't envy them," he said. "There are all these federal and state mandates, but no money for them. They [state and federal lawmakers] just keep dumping unfunded mandates on the doorsteps of broken down cities and expect local people to deal with them."
tullis@vindy.com