Wednesday, May 27, 2015
YOUNGSTOWN
Police Chief Robin Lees did not have to move heaven and Earth to get his new Community Police Initiative up and running.
Just a civil service exam.
The new program, which will place one officer in each of the city’s seven wards exclusively, will begin sometime after the first of June, Lees said.
Several officers have expressed an interest in taking part in the program, but a final decision on who will be in the unit has not been made yet, Lees said. He also wants to hear from council members who may prefer a particular officer for the position in their ward.
After the officers are picked, they will undergo a training program, which will consist of issues that often pop up in community policing issues, such as animal or housing issues.
The goal of the unit is to have the one officer always in a particular ward instead of answering calls like they would if they were patrolling a beat. That way, they can concentrate on issues that are concerning to residents and also establish a presence in the ward.
“We want a team approach with this,” Lees said. “We want the officer engaged not only with the community, but with the council person in that area.”
Read more about the plan in Thursday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.