Youngstown police to step up efforts against violent crime

YOUNGSTOWN — Trying to reduce violent crime, the city will start a three-month police-saturation program Tuesday, introduce a community crime-reduction patrol and extend a gunshot-location system.

Police Chief Rod Foley said at today’s city council safety-committee meeting that a Violence Interruption Patrols program [VIP] will run from Tuesday to Sept. 2.

The program — similar to other saturation patrols such as the Violence, Gun Reduction Interdiction Program [V-GRIP] — will include city, Mahoning County, state and federal law-enforcement officials.

The program will target high-crime areas, focusing on deterrence, parole and probation violation sweeps and gang-related violence, Foley said.

“We also want to make sure guns aren’t being carried,” he said. “We’re seeing a lot of kids carrying firearms in their waistbands.”

The police budget includes about $100,000 to pay officers to increase patrols for this program, Foley said.

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