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Valley violent-crimes unit makes presence known
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Law-enforcement officials approach a vacant house on Southern Boulevard they used as a training location and to show police presence in the neighborhood on Youngstown’s South Side.
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A shotgun blast blows the latch off a bedroom door as part of a tactical-entry training exercise by members of the Mahoning Valley Violent Crimes Task Force.
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A shotgun blast blows the latch off a bedroom door as part of a tactical-entry training exercise by members of the Mahoning Valley Violent Crimes Task Force.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
skolnick@vindy.com
YOUNGSTOWN
Members from seven law-enforcement agencies were in the South Side neighborhood near St. Dominic Church for two reasons.
The officers were using vacant houses about to be demolished to practice tactical entries into houses and arrest procedures, said Jon M. Holloway, supervisory special agent for the FBI and head of the Mahoning Valley Violent Crimes Task Force.
The location, where crime has been a serious issue, was the other reason, he said.
“Being out in the neighborhood is a good suppression tool” against crime, he said. “This lets people know we’re out here.”
Those near the East Lucius Avenue church Thursday included members of the FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, Ohio Adult Parole Authority, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Mahoning County Sheriff’s Department, Youngstown Police Department and Campbell Police Department — all members of the task force.
The houses used are to be demolished shortly as part of Operation Redemption after the church pastor, the Rev. Greg Maturi, made a public appeal for the city’s help in ridding the church neighborhood of violent crime.
Father Maturi’s efforts drew national attention Thursday with coverage on CNN and its website. “Crime-fighting priest hits the streets” can be viewed here. The priest’s appeal has led to the city’s promise to demolish 27 vacant houses suspected of being havens for criminals near the church. The other houses are on Auburndale Avenue and Southern Boulevard. All of the houses will be down by the end of the month or early January.
Thomas J. Repchic was murdered, and his wife, Jacqueline, was seriously injured during a Sept. 25 shooting after the two were hit by gunfire in their car shortly after leaving the church. Police say it was a case of mistaken identity. Angeline Fimognari, a St. Dominic parishioner, was murdered in the church parking lot Jan. 23 after attending Mass.
As part of the program, police have increased their presence in the neighborhood.
Detective Sgt. John Elberty of the Youngstown Police Department and commander of the Mahoning Valley Response Team said he has no doubt Thursday’s presence in the neighborhood helped deter crime.
“People see us in the neighborhood, and they’re on their toes,” he said. “They’re checking us out. Hopefully the toilets are flushing and crack is going down. I can guarantee that happened in at least one house in the neighborhood.”
The dozen or so officers participating in the drills practiced using battering rams to open doors and blowing open inside bedroom doors with special shotgun casings.
Mayor Jay Williams urged the FBI and other law-enforcement agencies to have more of a presence in the St. Dominic area.
“This is part of it,” Williams said. “It sends a message that we’re out there and we are working to reduce crime. We expect to have more officers in that area over the next few weeks.”