YOUNGSTOWN — Michael Brown, one of four new police officers sworn in to the Youngstown Police Department on Tuesday, said he has always wanted to be a Youngstown police officer and loves the city.

“I have lived here all my life,” Brown said. “It was an opportunity to come back here and serve the people I’ve been around my whole life, maybe put a new spin on something different for kids because I’m a big kid person,” he said, pointing to his two sons, who attended the swearing-in ceremony.

He said it’s “easy to go somewhere else and find success,” but it’s important to stay and build success here.

In addition to working security at the Youngstown Police Department, he worked as a police officer in Struthers and worked for the Summa Health System Police Department in Akron, and as a New Middletown police officer and Mercy Health police officer.

“This is definitely where I want to be. I own a home here. My family’s here. This is what I know. It just took a long time to get the opportunity to come back here. Now that I got it, I’m going to try to hold on to it,” he said.

NUMBERS DECLINING

Brown said the three new officers are sorely needed in a police department that continues to see its number of patrol officers decline through retirements and officers accepting jobs at higher-paying departments.

Capt. Brad Blackburn, head of the patrol division, said that even with the four new officers, there are only 85 patrol officers in the department, which is down from 94 at this time last year.

He said three officers left last week — one for retirement and two for other opportunities.

“We are at the lowest level of patrol officers I can remember in the 25 years I’ve been here, and we’re still falling,” Blackburn said. He works with the number of officers available through overtime, including “forced overtime.”

Another of the new officers, Chad Shaffer, said he has “always wanted to do something to help people out, get involved in the community in any way possible, so I went to the Youngstown State police academy in 2019, and I became a Mill Creek Park police officer, and from there I went to East Palestine, where I became a full-time officer.

“As soon as I saw that Youngstown was hiring, I jumped on the opportunity. I just wanted to be here,” he said.

He said he knows the community, especially because of his more than 2 1/2 years as a Mill Creek Park police officer. “I know a lot of the residents who live here.”

DIVERSE SKILLS

Police Chief Carl Davis said during the swearing-in ceremony that the four new officers “have undergone a selection process that includes extensive background checks and interviews. They have completed their required (Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy) training, covering various aspects of law enforcement, including community policing, emergency response and conflict resolution.

“These new officers bring a diverse range of skills and experience to the Youngstown Police Department. All of them have prior law enforcement experience, and I am totally confident these new officers will be professional and uphold the high standard of integrity and public service. They will be assigned to the patrol division where they will work with an experienced officer to gain practical experience and to further develop their skills.

“At the Youngstown Police Department we emphasize teamwork, accountability and community engagement,” Davis said. “The Youngstown Police Department remains committed to provide ongoing training and support to ensure our new officers are well equipped to handle the challenges and responsibilities of their roles.”

Mayor Jamael Tito Brown said being a police officer is “not an easy job. As we look around the world and the nation, it’s becoming more of a thankless job, but you come to work every day,” he said.