Crime summit gives residents a platform to voice grievances

While St. Dominic Church on Youngstown’s South Side will again be the setting for a discussion about crime — some people seem to prefer the more positive word safety — the summit Wednesday is an opportunity for residents throughout the city to be heard.

While it is true that the first meeting last October was prompted by the high-profile murders of Angeline Figmonari, Vivian Martin and Thomas Repchic, this year’s indictment of 23 people on gang-related charges illustrates that the problem of crime is citywide. Indeed, the police department has a map that shows gangs, most of them violent and involved in illegal drug activity, scattered throughout Youngstown.

That’s why the summit at St. Dominic should not only focus on the South Side and the progress made in the seven months when then-Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray pledged the full support of state criminal justice agencies in cleaning up the neighborhoods.

Residents from the East, West and North sides have issues that must be addressed. Crime knows no bounds.

Democrat Cordray was defeated in his re-election bid by Republican Mike DeWine, who has visited Youngstown twice since taking office in January and will be on hand Wednesday. DeWine will join the Rev. Gregory Maturi, pastor of St. Dominic and the national face of a local grass-roots campaign against crime, Mayor Jay Williams, police Chief Jimmy Hughes and Bishop George V. Murry of the Catholic Diocese of Youngstown, among others, as participants in the discussion.

While Attorney General DeWine has thus far focused his efforts on revamping the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation so analyses of evidence is expedited, he will undoubtedly be asked about state resources for the city’s crime-fighting effort and help in reviving once crime-infested neighborhoods.

Population decline

DeWine, who worked closely with Youngs-town officials on various criminal justice initiatives during his tenure as lieutenant governor and U.S. senator, must be aware that while the city’s population is dropping fast, the issue of crime appears intractable. There are many reasons for this, but as has been shown time and again, older, urban communities like Youngstown are held hostage by gangbangers and other criminals. Thus, a major presence of federal, state and local law enforcement officials is necessary.

Earlier this year, the Ohio State Highway Patrol announced it is increasing its patrols in the city, while the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and city police joined forces in investigating the LSP Street Gang. The 42-count federal indictment was orchestrated by the United States Attorney’s Office, which is using the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act to prosecute the accused.

That’s what Youngstown needs — as residents from all parts of the city will attest to Wednesday given the opportunity to speak to DeWine and other summit participants.