Youngstown chief asks pastors to help with crime-reduction efforts

February 13, 2015 at 12:06a.m.

YOUNGSTOWN

Police Chief Robin Lees is asking Youngstown-area pastors to help the department’s efforts to reduce violent crime in the city.

Joined by Mahoning County Sheriff Jerry Greene and police chiefs from Austintown, Boardman, Youngstown State University and Mill Creek MetroParks, Lees met Thursday with about 30 pastors. The event, at the Covelli Centre, was coordinated through the city’s Community Initiative to Reduce Violence.

“We’d like to do some things in the community to continue the strides we’ve made,” Lees said. “We need to look at what more we can do in the community.”

CIRV has worked with a number of pastors on programs to reduce violence in the city. The agency’s goal is to reduce violent crime by mobilizing community leaders and social-service agencies to provide education, mentoring, job placement and rehabilitation to at-risk youths who want to stay away from crime, said Guy Burney, CIRV coordinator.

“We want to provide pastors with open access to [Lees], and take back information to their communities and parishioners,” Burney said. “Pastors have influence and resources to help people in the community. There are a number of young men who need mentoring and churches have people willing to help.”

Among those at Thursday’s meeting was the Rev. Willie F. Peterson, pastor of NewBirth Kimmelbrook Baptist Church and executive director of the Center for Community Empowerment at Rockford Village.

“No doubt I’ve seen a reduction in crime and the community needs to come together to keep crime down,” he said.