Officials dedicate education center

A councilwoman said young people need to be part of the solution.
YOUNGSTOWN -- The old fire station at 1639 Mahoning Ave. has a new name and a new purpose as the Youngstown Police Department Community Education Center.
Of all the city officials who attended a dedication ceremony Wednesday, Councilwoman Carol Rimedio-Righetti, D-4th, was the most animated. The building, formerly known as the YPD training center, is in her ward.
"I'm so excited today," the councilwoman said. "I always wanted to use this building for young people. We need to make young people part of the [crime] solution."
Rimedio-Righetti said that, aside from a place for youngsters to use, the building will be a place for West Side block watches to meet. She expressed thanks to Mayor Jay Williams' administration for making the building available to the community.
Williams said he'd like to hire 100 more police officers but that isn't possible, and he wants the building to serve as an outreach center. He said he hopes youngsters' first encounter with police is not with guns drawn but at the community center where they will come to understand that police are authority figures.
Plans for building
Police Chief Jimmy Hughes said he hopes the building can be staffed and outfitted and used in a number of different ways. He said officers on patrol can do reports in the building and use it for interviews when necessary.
Detective Sgt. Delphine Baldwin Casey, officer in charge of the planning and training division, said a youth police academy will take place at the education center in August, followed by a citizens' police academy that runs through September. The programs are designed to improve communications between police and the people they serve.
Participants will get a better idea of how the police department functions, she added.
Casey thanked the three municipal judges for having the place cleaned up by defendants performing community service. She also expressed thanks to Patrolman Eric Reese who helped with painting chores.