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Hubbard city, township cops unite to fight drug crimes
By LINDA M. LINONIS
HUBBARD
Photo
Patrolmen Mike Pieton, left, of Hubbard Police Department and Ronald Fusco of Hubbard Township Police Department work in the Hubbard Narcotics Unit offi ce in the township department. A logo for the unit relays the deadliness of drug use. ITT Technical Institute in Youngstown donated the computer and furniture for the office.
A proactive approach to combating illegal drug activity has led to the recent formation of the Hubbard Narcotics Unit, a cooperative effort between the city and township police departments.
“This is overdue,” said Chief Todd Coonce of the township department.
“We have common problems,” he added.
Though a mutual-aid agreement has been in effect for the two departments for years, the narcotics unit is a more formal collaboration.
City Chief Martin Kanetsky and Coonce agree that finding sufficient staffing for the unit was a concern.
The city force has 13 full-time officers, including the chief. There are seven full-time and 12 part-time officers in the township, including the chief.
Two officers are assigned to the narcotics unit: Patrolman Ronald Fusco of the township and Patrolman Mike Pieton of the city. They work regular shifts, and some are dedicated specifically to the unit.
The two worked on developing the unit’s goals, which are “decreasing the availability of drugs” and “increasing the number of arrests, drug seizures, property seizures and prosecutions.” The unit already has generated 36 cases and numerous arrests.
Pieton said seeing unfavorable changes in the community spurred his interest in the unit. “There’s a lot of heroin out there along with pain meds,” he said.
Fusco said a disturbing trend is that “so many in the community are touched by drugs ... and users seem to get younger and younger.”
Both said input from community residents through the tip line will help the police in their work to make the city and township drug-free. The two patrolmen emphasized that the goal of the unit is to “provide a safe community” for residents.
The unit has a drug tip line at 330-534-TIPS (8477), ext. 155. Callers are encouraged to leave as much information as possible — name, address of suspected offenders, vehicle description and license-plate number, location of activity and drug involved.
“Some people want to be anonymous while others leave contact information,” said Coonce.
For those not comfortable leaving a voice message, forms asking for the information are available at the police stations.
An office at the township department is the hub for the unit.
Coonce noted that “drug activity usually leads to other crimes, such as burglary, theft and domestic violence.”
Oftentimes, traffic stops move from routine and minor to a more serious matter when drugs or drug paraphernalia are discovered.
“[Abuse of] prescription drugs, painkillers, is a problem for all ages,” Coonce said. Marijuana is still a problem.
“Kids may say it’s ‘only marijuana’ but many long-term drug abusers started with it,” he said. “It just introduces them to the drug culture and addiction.”
Kanetsky agreed.
Heroin, widespread in the 1960s, has made a resurgence.
“Heroin seems to be the No. 1 drug of the time,” Kanetsky said, adding that it’s cheap, potent and deadly. The chief said in the last two and one-half years, the city has seen four overdose deaths of victims in their late teens and early 20s.