Minorities invited to be police

By SEAN BARRON

VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT

YOUNGSTOWN — He may still be in training, but Damon Perry knows well that sometimes police officers’ most valuable asset in defusing volatile situations is their approach.

“For the most part, the way a police officer interacts with others can de-escalate a situation,” noted Perry, of Youngstown, who’s in his fifth week at the police academy.

Another valuable tool for a good officer is not only knowing the appropriate questions to ask, but asking them nonjudgmentally, he said. Sizing up the entire situation at crime scenes also is critical, added Perry, who worked two years at the private prison on Youngstown-Hubbard Road.

Perry was on hand at Sunday’s Youngstown Police Department recruitment drive at Four Seasons Flea Market, 3000 McCartney Road, on the city’s East Side.

Stacy Taylor of Youngstown stopped by and left with an application, saying that a desire to help the community, as well as the starting pay, were attractive features related to joining the force. Being a patrol officer is a possible goal, Taylor added.

“I want to get more information and if it’s what I want to do, I’ll continue with the program,” she said.

The five-hour campaign’s main purpose was to encourage more minorities to consider a career in law enforcement, and to debunk certain myths about the job, explained Detective Sgt. Delphine Baldwin-Casey, who headed the effort.

“I feel strongly about going out into neighborhoods and the community,” Baldwin-Casey said of the method she used to get the word out.

Plenty of pamphlets and brochures were available on elder abuse, services for crime victims, protection orders and other topics. Those who came also saw information pertaining to the selection process and qualifications, as well as officers’ benefits, paid leave days and salaries; the starting salary on the 186-member force is $37,786.

Youngstown has a diverse population and the department should more closely reflect the percentage of minorities, she pointed out. Baldwin-Casey also noted that anyone is welcome to apply.

Another problem, the detective continued, is that many minorities distrust the police, in part because of a negative experience someone they know may have had — even if nothing bad happened to them. The way officers are portrayed on TV also reinforces certain negative and inaccurate representations, she noted.

It’s important also that people are aware of numerous specialty careers in the field, such as working with records, evidence, forensics and a K-9 unit, Baldwin-Casey explained. Nevertheless, it’s critical to spend tine first on patrol, which she called “the heart of police work.”

Baldwin-Casey noted that community recruiting has the blessing of her boss, Chief Jimmie Hughes. Cleveland, Cincinnati and other large Ohio cities have implemented similar efforts at one-on-one contact between officer and potential recruit, she added.

Perry advised those looking to a career in the field to conduct research, talk to numerous officers, be in good physical condition and ride with other officers.

Baldwin-Casey will continue to conduct recruitment drives from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesdays and Sundays through April at the flea market.