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DeWine shows commitment
The Vindicator
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Attorney General Mike DeWine, right, talks with Mayor Jay Williams after announcing the Fugitive Safe Surrender program would come to Youngstown next year. The two were part of a safety summit Wednesday at St. Dominic Church on the city’s South Side.
DeWine shows commitment
It was good to see Attorney General Mike DeWine in Youngstown again, where he attended a safety summit on the city’s South Side.
The attention paid by attorneys general to the Youngstown area has been important in recent years. First, of course, because of the obvious crime problems facing the city, Secondarily, the continued presence of a satellite office of the attorney general in downtown Youngstown is an asset to the entire area.
DeWine covered a lot of ground during a visit Thursday night and Friday to the area. He attended the second safety summit that was an outgrowth of Operation Redemption, launched by the city and St. Dominic Church after two parishioners died violent deaths last year.
The attorney general announced that his staff is putting together a Fugitive Safe Surrender program that will encourage people with outstanding warrants to turn themselves in. He’s planning to coordinate with Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties and hopes to be ready to act in about nine months.
Progress on promises
DeWine also met with Vindicator editors to discuss progress he has made on one of his main campaign issues last year, shortening the amount of time it takes the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation to process evidence. BCI Superintendent Tom Stickrath said procedures are being streamlined from the minute evidence is received until the final report is available. He found 187 steps involved in processing biology/DNA samples. BCI is working to reduce those steps by more than half and to standardize the procedures among the three BCI labs to reduce the turnaround time, which was 125 days as of December.
DeWine said he is committed to processing DNA, firearm, fingerprint and other evidence as quickly as possible, which should be welcome news to local prosecutors who rely on BCI.
DeWine said he is committed to maintaining and even strengthening the Youngstown office, which is good news for the city and local law enforcement agencies and bad news for criminals.