Drug arrests by highway patrol zoom in Trumbull, Columbiana but lag in Mahoning

Drug arrests by highway patrol zoom in Trumbull, Columbiana but lag in Mahoning

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers at the Trumbull and Columbiana county posts have posted more drug arrests in the first six months of 2013 than they did last year while Mahoning is lagging behind.

Commanders of the posts in Southington, Lisbon and Canfield also said they are doing more with less, as all three posts are experiencing a shortage of troopers.

Lt. Brian Holt, who heads the Southington Post, said troopers were given a new emphasis at the beginning of the year as authorities in Columbus gave troopers across the state a new mandate to look for more drug and firearm offenses as well as concentrate on more driving under the influence arrests, instead of just looking for traffic infractions.

Statistics provided by the patrol show that Southington’s troopers have recorded 112 drug violations or arrests through June 10 of this year. In the same time frame in 2012, they recorded 67 similar cases.

In Mahoning County, Sgt. Michael Wilson of the Canfield Post said his post as of June 10 had 60 drug violations recorded, as opposed to 104 during the same time frame in 2012.

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