How can police dispute city's dismal crime ranking?

How can police dispute city's dismal crime ranking?
EDITOR:
Youngstown's crime index ranks near the top, as one of America's most dangerous "violent crime" cities. We are the 9th most dangerous city in the entire U.S. Any Mahoning County resident, police officer or official that takes issue with this conclusive fact is either unfamiliar with FBI and governmental crime statistics, or is being deceitful.
The methodology that Morgan Quitno utilized in determining the safest and most dangerous "major crime cities " is entirely accurate and factual. It comes from FBI data. The FBI is our primary federal investigative agency and collects all the crime reports in over 200 categories, from 17,000 law enforcement agencies. Their ranking was determined by comparing each city "crime index" with the national average.
Our community should ask, "Why are we one of the most dangerous crime cities in America?" What can we do to make Youngstown a safer city? We must help our policing populace. The National Institute of Justice has stated that community policing is most successful when they solve their city crime problems in collaboration with residents and other members of the community.
ANTHONY DeGIDIO
Youngstown
Boardman schools need attention and voter support
EDITOR:
The purpose of this letter is to address the inaccuracies in this column recently regarding Boardman's Performing Arts Center (PAC) and the proposed facilities bond issue. Let's set the record straight.
The voters of Boardman did not say no to the PAC, they said no to paying for it with additional taxes. The school board decided that this project was important enough as an educational foundation to seek other avenues. The building structure was funded with a loan secured from a local bank at less than market interest. The interior of the PAC was furnished and completed entirely with over 1.5 million in private donations. The loan payments on the PAC are made from the Permanent Improvement Levy fund, not from the maintenance budget. The legal purpose of the Permanent Improvement Levy is exactly for projects such as this.
Without the PAC, Boardman would surely not have recently been named one of the Top 100 Music Education communities in the United States. That is a claim that cannot be made by any other local district and can be made by only five others in all of Ohio, out of more than 600 school districts.
Now, onto the proposed bond issue. The PAC is in no way affecting the ability of Boardman to maintain its schools. Visit one of the buildings and you'd be amazed at how well-maintained they truly are. Upon closer inspection, however, you'd see many areas of need and concern. Learning space is scarce and all of the schools still have their original boiler systems. And, the newest school was built in 1969. One hundred percent of the funds from this bond will go to the stated projects and not to salaries and benefits.
The main focus of the bond issue is and always will be the future of our children. It is imperative that we improve the physical facilities. This will maintain the educational excellence of Boardman and provide our kids with the safe and comfortable learning environment that they deserve.
We have sat by over the past few years and watched while the districts all around us have improved. They have built new state-of-the-art facilities. All with a much larger share of state aid than Boardman could ever hope to see.
Yes, the economic climate in Northeast Ohio is tenuous. But, if we do not help our children, who will? Passage of this bond will cost the owner of a 100,000 home only 8.93 per month. (Information for each property is available on the Mahoning County web site). That is less than the cost of a pizza or a couple fancy coffees. To the reader whose taxes will increase by 200 per year -- is 16.67 per month too much to educate our kids? Too much to ensure their safety? Too much to protect their future and the future of Boardman? Too much to protect your property value?
No one is waiting to step in and help us. Support the Boardman schools on Nov. 7. It is our kids' future and it is up to us.
KIMO DeNIRO
Boardman
Keep Hubbard Township safe; vote for the police levy
EDITOR:
The Hubbard Township Police Department needs the support of township voters. This Election Day, voters will see two township police levies on the ballot for passage. These two levies are not new and do not represent an increase in voted millage. The first levy is a renewal that the township presents to the people every three years. This levy is used for day-to- day police operations in your community. The second police levy is a replacement that consolidates two old levies, one passed in 1976 that was used to form the police department, and the other a 1980 levy. Both levies are being collected at the original property valuation at the time of their passage and do not reflect current property values or take into account the additional growth that we have experienced in those 26 years.
When our department was formed in 1978, we had one police chief and five full-time police officers. Today, 28 years later, we still have one police chief and five full-time officers. We are not top heavy in management -- no captains or sergeants, just myself and our dedicated police officers. Our community has seen immense growth in residential and commercial expansions since those days when the originally levies were passed.
Passage of these levies will determine if Hubbard Township can continue to maintain a dedicated and professional police department.
As your police chief, it is my number one job to ensure that our community remains safe and secure. Hubbard Township has been very successful in preventing serious crime from spilling over into our neighborhoods. I believe that a strong, vigilant, and dedicated police force such as ours can take much of the credit.
They have my appreciation and they deserve your support as one of the best police departments in our area. Being strong and secure in our community has a cost, and I am asking you to support us so that we can protect you. We are the first line of defense between you and the criminals.
Although we all have diverse backgrounds and interests, we have one thing in common and that is the security of our families. Please help us help you by voting yes on both levies Nov. 7.
Chief TODD D. COONCE
Hubbard Township Police
Don't be misled on Issue 3
EDITOR:
It's "election season" again. Once a very special time in the life of our country, political advertising has now tainted this noble process. Marred by a serious lack of respect for truth, as well as for opposing candidates, views, and positions, this atmosphere of deception continues to result in a decrease in the number of voters turning out on Election Day to cast their vote.
The rhetoric and political dialogue surrounding Issue 3 is no exception.
Misleadingly labeled "Learn and Earn, & quot; the issue has little to do with education. Its real purpose is to amend the Ohio Constitution to allow casino-style gambling in our state. In exchange, there is a feeble promise of increased scholarship money for future college students funded by future profits from these operations.
Faith-based opponents of the issue, lumped together with Catholics groups that condone gambling, have been publicly labeled as hypocrites for opposing the amendment. A recent example of this may be found in The Vindicator in a letter to the editor written by the mayor of North Randall, a suburb of Cleveland where a large horseracing track is located.
That mayor certainly has the right, and perhaps even a responsibility, to defend that city's largest source of revenue. However, his attempt to separate the economic and moral aspects of this issue falls seriously short of the mark. In fact, since he also acknowledges that he pastors a church there, the biblical observation that man can't serve both God and money is vividly illustrated.
One certainly does not bite the proverbial hand that feeds you. In theory, North Randall would likely receive a substantial increase in income tax revenue should this issue pass, since a casino would be built in that city.
The question is at whose expense would these dollars come from? Two simple rules provide the answer to that question. The first is that in order for some to win, many have to lose. And second, some of those who lose are those who can least afford to. In a nutshell, one person's gain can only come from someone else's loss. The moral implications of that question are not easily overcome.
Other concerns aside, national studies show that counties with casinos have at least a 100 percent higher rate of personal bankruptcies than those counties without them. Also, residents of economically depressed neighborhoods (do you know someone who lives in one?) run a 69 percent higher risk of becoming a gambling addict. If this amendment passes, the only real winners will be the casino owners and organized crime.
On Election Day, the wise citizen will ignore political advertisements, endorsements and self-serving rhetoric. Instead, they will use discernment, research and common sense and find the facts, and then use those facts to make their decision on candidates and issues. Think of the difference that would make for all involved in the process.
GREG CALKO
Canfield