Youngstown mayor, police chief tackle crime issues

YOUNGSTOWN — Youngstown’s crime problem won’t be solved by a plan to house city misdemeanor prisoners in the Mahoning County Jail, the mayor and police chief say. But it’s a good start, say officials.

“It’s one piece” of the solution, Mayor Jay Williams said. “It’s one component.”

There is no quick fix for reducing the amount of crime, Williams said, adding that addressing the city’s crime problem is his No. 1 priority as mayor.

“There are days when I’m a proponent of a 1,000-bed jail,” he said.

The jail was designed to hold 468 prisoners, and can house 564 with double-bunking, said county Sheriff Randall Wellington. Also, the currently closed misdemeanant jail can hold an additional 96 prisoners.

Besides finances, education and economic development are important factors in fighting crime, Williams said.

“We need to educate children to deter crime,” Williams said.

Teachers are not solely responsible for that, although their involvement is vital to steering children in the right direction, he said. That responsibility needs to be shared by parents, community and faith-based leaders.

The breakdown of the traditional family structure has led some to become professional criminals, said Williams and Police Chief Jimmy Hughes.

“People don’t want to talk about morality,” Williams said. “We need to help people not make bad decisions.”

Williams and Hughes were reared on the city’s East Side.

For complete story, see Monday's Vindicator or www.vindy.com.