Community Police Unit stats released

By Joe Gorman | August 26, 2015 at 12:05a.m.

Statistics show officers have been making contacts

YOUNGSTOWN

Based on its first month of operations, the city’s new Community Police Unit may have to install a couple of new phone lines.

Detective Sgt. Pat Kelly, who heads up the unit, said the unit receives on average about two dozen calls a day. He said that is the biggest surprise since the unit began operations in the beginning of July.

Police Chief Robin Lees, who created the unit, said it is a good problem to have. He said the calls from residents and business owners going to the unit are often quality-of-life issues or others that do not require the immediate response of a police officer.

Because of that, officers on a regular patrol beat have their work load reduced a little because the members of the CPU will now take those calls, Lees said.

“I think the community police are beginning to absorb those calls,” Lees said.

The unit is based in the old fire station on Mahoning Avenue. It is made up of seven members, one for each ward of the city. The idea is that those officers can spend their entire day in the ward, checking out problems called in by residents, businesses and that ward’s member of council.

Lees said for the unit to make an impact in the wards it has to have a presence for a long time, but he added he is pleased with its beginning.

“We’re off to a good start,” Lees said. “We’re looking to strengthen the ties in the neighborhoods.” Kelly said the amount of phone calls the members of the unit receive every day is a pleasant surprise.

“I did not expect the number of in-office calls,” Kelly said.

Statistics released this week for the first month of the unit show they have been making contacts. Officers personally visited 36 businesses in the city and also personally talked to 89 residents.

Topics of discussion listed range from high grass to drug complaints to follow- ups on other crimes, such as burglaries or breaking and entering.

For the residential contacts, statistics show that 26 of those contacts were in reference to blight or other quality-of-life issues in neighborhoods affecting properties, such as high grass or abandoned homes and vehicles.

Officers also took several complaints of drug activity. Those complaints were forwarded to the vice squad for further investigation and action.