Another victory in battle against crime in the city

If it’s true that a picture is worth a thousand words, then the eight mug shots on the front page of Saturday’s Vindicator speak volumes. That’s because they represent another victory in the campaign against violent crime in the city of Youngstown.

At the heart of the long-standing crime epidemic is the illegal drug trade, which sustains the heavily armed, dangerous gangs.

And given that these gangs operate within the city’s neighborhoods, the fallout of the bloody wars is not confined to the gangbangers.

Hence, our enthusiastic reaction to the Saturday story with the headline, “BUSTED”, and the subhead, “36 indicted in probe of Youngstown heroin ring.”

But while we celebrate the success of this law enforcement endeavor, the number of individuals scooped up in the dragnet indicates the extensive nature of the drug trade in the city.

The 36 indicted individuals were targeted by local, state and federal law enforcement officials during the three-year, heroin-ring investigation. Twelve of those indicted face federal charges relating to the distribution of heroin in Mahoning County, mostly in Youngstown. As of Friday, seven of them had been arrested.

Two dozen people face state charges stemming from their participation in the heroin ring.

The indictments and the arrests were announced Friday at a press conference attended by Assistant United States Attorney Carole Rendon, Youngstown Mayor Charles Sammarone, Assistant Special FBI Agent Pete Vickmore, Mahoning County Prosecutor Paul Gains, Youngstown Police Chief Rod Foley and state and national law enforcement officials.

What is significant about the bust is the fact that the heroin was brought into Youngstown from Chicago. A distribution network would then put the drug on the streets.

It was a very lucrative business.

What is also noteworthy is that the announcement of the indictments came a year after 17 defendants in a heroin- and cocaine-trafficking ring were sentenced in federal court. The ring sold the drugs on Youngstown’s East Side and Campbell. The drug sweep occurred in 2010 and the ring leader, Luis Angel Martinez, 33, of Youngstown, who was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, obtained the drugs from sources in New York City, Buffalo, N.Y., and Youngstown and distributed them to lower-level dealers for sale in this area.

The parallels between the 2010 operation and the one revealed last week are not only revealing, but they point to a reality about Youngstown that must worry Mayor Sammarone and Police Chief Foley.

Homicides

Considering the number of people involved in the drug trade, and with so much violent crime as a result of it — the city has recorded 17 homicides this year, many relating to gang warfare — it appears Youngstown is an easy mark.

That must change, which the crackdown by local, state and national law enforcement officials, will accomplish.

But city government must also find a way of going after the users of illegal drugs. The rumors of heroin being the drug of choice not only in Youngstown but in the suburbs have been circulating for quite a while.

Social service agencies, churches and community organizations can play an important role in identifying the users and getting them the help they need. Without a market for the drugs, the pipeline will dry up. The gangs will have to find some other way of making their money.

Youngstown cannot afford to have an underground economy fueled by criminal activity. It’s bad for legitimate business.