Warren police attack prostitution by enforcing lesser offenses

WARREN — In a midsized city such as Warren, it might surprise some drivers to find that police are writing tickets for motorists who are taking illegal shortcuts through gas station parking lots and pedestrians who are jaywalking.

But, like Youngstown, which enacted a zero-tolerance policy for lesser offenses such as traffic violations in 2007 after a quadruple homicide in January in an abandoned house, Warren has been conducting its own war on lesser offenses in recent months.

The biggest difference is that Warren has not had as much police overtime money available to fund it.

With Warren facing a $1.75 million budget shortfall in June, the mayor and service director ordered that most overtime be eliminated for the remainder of the year.

At the same time, neighborhood watch groups complained in August that prostitution, drug dealing and other crimes were rampant in the city.

Warren Police Capt. Tim Bowers said it is difficult for police to conduct undercover stings to catch people who are paying for sex because such investigations require a lot of manpower — but they can attack prostitution and other crimes through lesser offenses.

For the complete story, see Tuesday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com.