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YPD swears in three new officers
By Joe Gorman
YOUNGSTOWN
The city’s three new police officers give the department eight for the year so far, and more are coming.
Chief Robin Lees said after Monday’s swearing-in ceremony in city council chambers he hopes to add up to seven and maybe eight more officers by the end of August.
Those officers will be taking the place of regular officers who will be moving to the chief’s community policing initiative. The department also is hiring because a large of number of officers have or are expected to retire this year.
Sworn in was Jeshalia Dunkle, 22, of Youngstown; Travis Sheely, 24, of Mineral Ridge; and Michael Conway, 24, of Niles.
Sheely and Conway will undergo about a week of in-service training before hitting the road with their field training officers next week.
Dunkle still is attending the Ohio Peace Officers Training Academy but is expected to graduate in May, when she will then be assigned her training officer.
New officers spend about three months with training officer before being assigned a beat of their own.
Dunkle, who grew up on the West Side, said, “I look forward to being a police officer on the streets of Youngstown. I want to protect our streets.”
Sheely served as a military policeman in the Ohio National Guard with the 838th MP Company stationed out of Austintown and served a tour in Afghanistan. He said that training should help him transition to his new job.
“It gives me experience and confidence,” Sheely said.
Conway said he is interested in a law-enforcement career because he is carrying on a family tradition. His brother is an officer in Boardman and his father worked for the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office.
Conway has been an officer with the Lisbon and Bazetta police departments. He also said his experience will be helpful as he begins with a new department.
Conway and Sheely both said they like a department such as Youngstown because it is the largest one in the area and it has a lot of room for advancement and special assignments.
Mayor John A. McNally, who administered the oath, told the three they should be able to help contribute to a department that has seen a reduction in crime for three-straight years. He said they are joining a good team with a good chief in Lees.
“You three are an important part of this,” McNally said.